Busy MDI road closed after truck crash

Eagle Lake Road, the main road that connects Bar Harbor with other parts of Mount Desert Island, was shut down early Tuesday afternoon when a box truck rolled onto its side near Acadia National Park headquarters.

“It will probably be shut down for another hour,” said Lt. Kevin Edgecomb of the Bar Harbor Police Department at around 1:30 p.m. “It’s a mess.”

Police were still on scene early in the afternoon and directing traffic along alternate routes, according to Edgecomb. He said he had not heard back from responding officers about what caused the crash, which was reported at 12:10 p.m.

The truck was carrying meat and seafood when it went out of control on the road, also known as Route 233, and rolled onto its side. The road was shut down while local officers waited for Maine State Police, which conducts inspection of commercial vehicles, and for a wrecker large enough to lift the truck back on its wheels, Edgecomb said.

No one was hurt in the crash, he said.

Traffic in and out of downtown Bar Harbor was being re-routed onto Norway Drive and Crooked Road, Edgecomb said — a detour of roughly eight miles.

The road closure, though temporary, is among a few traffic disruptions on MDI that are making it more difficult for motorists to get around the island, which gets crowded with millions of tourists during the busy summer season.

Part of Main Street in downtown Bar Harbor is closed while workers make upgrades to water and sewer lines under the street, with traffic being diverted to Ledgelawn Avenue. That project is expected to be substantially completed by sometime in November.

On the other side of the island, part of Seawall Road has been closed since last winter, when back-to-back storms pounded the roadway with unusually high surf. The road, which helps connect Southwest Harbor to park attractions such as Seawall Campground and Bass Harbor Head Light Station, is currently being repaired by local companies with the support of the Maine Department of Transportation.