This Off Ramp in Lewiston, Maine is So Bad Drivers Are Changing How They Travel Over It

Drivers in Lewiston appear to be getting frustrated with an off ramp that almost feels like your driving down a bumpy dirt road. It's so bad that drivers are taking steps to make the trip down the ramp a little smoother.

The off ramp in question is the eastbound ramp off Alfred A. Plourde Parkway that connects with Libson Street/Route 196. I travel this weekly to pick up my son from school on Fridays and the ramp seems to have been neglected for a while now.

The ramp has been a rough ride for quite a few years now, but it seems lately to have gotten even worse. This photo from Google Maps of the pavement on the ramp from 2018 shows the beginnings of what is now a rough ride, so it seems like it hasn't had any work done on it in the 3 years since the Google Car snapped this photo.

It's gotten so bad that drivers are avoiding all the bumps and ruts on the ramp by driving down it in the breakdown lane. I've seen the driver behind me do this several times. At first, I thought something was wrong with their car but then realized they were just trying to save their suspension.

I'm assuming this is under the Maine DOT's jurisdiction to repair the bumpy off ramp, but with all the construction going on all over the state, this short 700-foot ramp probably isn't on the top of their list. Just be careful driving down it and extra careful if you're in the breakdown lane. It's not legal to travel in that lane, but honestly, I don't blame you. Just don't be surprised if you get nabbed for it.