Racing against the tide

An aerial view of the Deer Isle Causeway looking northerly. The causeway is the only roadway linking Deer Isle and Stonington to the mainland
An aerial view of the Deer Isle Causeway looking northerly. The causeway is the only roadway linking Deer Isle and Stonington to the mainland Photo by Jack Sullivan

The Maine Department of Transportation expects to issue initial engineering plans to replace the 90-year-old Deer Isle Causeway in late February or March, moving replacement of the 4,100-foot stretch of roadway across Eggemoggin Reach another short step closer to reality. But construction—currently planned to commence in 2026—can’t start soon enough for year-round and seasonal residents of Deer Isle.

While islanders had grown used to an occasional overtopping from king tides coinciding with Nor’easters over the past 20 years, concerns about the thin strip of pavement escalated dramatically after 2024’s January storms, when a foot-and-a-half of water covered the causeway.

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Published in The Working Waterfront on January 30, 2025