WEST GARDINER, Maine (WMTW) – Gas pumps at the Maine Turnpike Authority’s West Gardiner service plaza are back operational after an outage that lasted approximately 12 hours.

A technician working to repair the gas pumps told Maine’s Total Coverage reporter Jackie Mundry that one of the pumps malfunctioned around 2 a.m. Monday due to an electrical problem. The technician also said that due to the gas station’s sensor system, all pumps shut down for safety reasons when a problem like this occurs, even if it only affects one pump.

Maine’s Total Coverage first became aware of the problem when the Maine Turnpike Authority’s traffic management center shared a 9 a.m. alert warning drivers traveling on Interstate 95 that there were no gas available at West Gardiner service location due to pump issues. The MTA also placed signs on the highway informing people that there was no gas available at the service area.

“I should be able to get where I’m going, but I was planning on refueling here, so it’s disrupting things a little bit,” said traveler Jacob Clark.

Diesel fuel was still available at the service plaza while the fuel pumps were closed.

The gas pumps at the service plaza reopened around 2 p.m.

“We apologize for the inconvenience caused,” the MTA said in its alert, lifted shortly before 4:10 p.m.

The West Gardiner Service Plaza is accessible via Exit 102 on the north side of Interstate 95 and from Exit 103 on I-95 South. Travelers on Interstate 295 can also access the service plaza via Exit 51.

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