UPDATE: The Maine Department of Transportation said Wednesday, Dec. 5 that the south side of Route 1 in the downtown area will not be closed to parking this winter.

Maine Department of Transportation is pausing its Wiscasset downtown project for the winter on Dec. 7, according to an email from MDOT.

Parking along Route 1 between Middle and Water streets was planned to be eliminated starting Monday, Dec. 3 at 8 a.m. As of the morning of Dec. 4, however, there was still some parking on the south side of Route 1, where most of the stores remaining open through the winter are.

The parking on part of Route 1 is being eliminated to allow for curbing for the new drainage system to work and to protect the foundations for the new street lights. By Dec. 7,  the curbing will be installed and it will not be possible to park anywhere on Main Street between Middle and Water streets, according to MDOT.

One of the stores open Tuesday in the affected area was Rock Paper Scissors,  owned by Ericka Soule.  Soule is hopeful most of the work will be done before the summer so she can get an idea of how well the parking, which will now be concentrated on Railroad Avenue and at the former Haggett Building lot on Water Street, will work to encourage people to stop and shop. “I want to give it a chance,” she said.

Spring work is expected to begin April 15; the completion date is Oct. 19. Remaining work includes excavation, gravel, paving, lighting, traffic signals, and the installation of the brick sidewalks and permanent signage.  

This story has been updated from its original posting.