GARDINER - The southbound lanes of Interstate 295 from Gardiner to Topsham will reopen tonight, three weeks ahead of the deadline for completing the massive repaving project that shut down the 18-mile section in mid-June.

The state Department of Transportation announced this morning that the opening was set for 6 p.m.

Crews managed to get the work done despite one of the wettest construction seasons on record, officials said.

Pike Industries and its subcontractors worked 16 hours a day, seven days a week, completing the $28.5 million project without any job site injuries, Commissioner David Cole said.

The deadline for completing the work was Aug. 30, but Pike's contract had incentives that offered a bonus of up to $2 million for an early finish.

Crews removed the top layer of concrete from the 36-year-old road, crushed the bottom layer of concrete and repaved the road with more than 180,000 tons of asphalt. Seven miles of guardrail were installed and five bridges were rebuilt.