PORTLAND — Congress Street will be closed between Forest and Weymouth streets on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4 and 5, to accommodate the removal of the large tower crane that has been used to construct Maine Medical Center’s new Malone Family Tower.

Through traffic will be detoured down St. John Street to Park Avenue, and then back up Weymouth Street to Congress Street. Local traffic will have an optional detour down Forest Street to Boynton Street and then to Weymouth Street. Local businesses will be open for their normal hours during the detour, and will remain fully accessible.

As part of this detour, the Congress Street entrance to MMC’s Visitors Garage will be closed. Patients and visitors can still access the garage via the Crescent Street entrance. Additionally, patients and visitors to Maine Medical Partner’s clinics at 887 Congress St. will need to access that building’s parking garage via the Forest Street entrance.

The detour is expected to begin at 7 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 4 and end by 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. Work both days will run from 7 a.m. through 7 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the work may extend through Sunday, Nov. 6.

The detours will be fully marked by signs, and flaggers will help direct traffic, according to MMC, in a news release.

The Malone Family Tower will reorient the hospital to Congress Street, expand availability of private rooms and provide state-of-the-art procedure rooms centered on cardiovascular care. It is expected to open in 2024.

The cardiovascular tower will have a total of seven floors plus a basement, with a new patient units totaling 96 beds in private rooms once the building opens.

“MMC appreciates the community’s support and understanding, and apologies for the inconvenience of the detour,” said the release.

Visit www.mmc.org/modernization for more information on the project, and for regular construction updates.

About Maine Medical Center

Maine Medical Center (MMC), recognized as a Best Regional Hospital by U.S. News and World Report for 2022-2023, is a complete health care resource for the people of Greater Portland and the entire state, as well as northern New England. Incorporated in 1868, MMC is the state’s largest medical center, licensed for 700 beds and employing more than 9,600 people. MMC's unique role as both a community hospital and a referral center requires an unparalleled depth and breadth of services, including an active educational program and a world-class biomedical research center. As a nonprofit institution, Maine Medical Center provides nearly 23 percent of all the charity care delivered in Maine. MMC is part of the MaineHealth system, a growing family of health care services in northern New England. For more information, visit www.mmc.org.