A series of motor vehicle breakdowns and accidents tied up traffic on Interstate 295 north of Portland on Friday as the busy Fourth of July weekend began.

No serious injuries were reported, although two women were taken to hospitals with back and neck pain, said Maine State Trooper Doug Cropper.

Cropper responded to two collisions around Tukey’s Bridge in Portland and a third in Falmouth. All occurred between 3 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. in the northbound lanes and in construction zones where the speed limit is restricted to 40 mph, he said.

Another trooper responded to three other accidents around the same time in the Yarmouth area, he said.

“My partner and I have not seen it this bad in a long time, and a lot has to do with the construction — and the volume of traffic. It is a holiday weekend,” Cropper said. “Every half hour we’re getting accidents.”

He said, “They’re going too fast. They’re following too closely. They’re not paying attention.”

A couple of breakdowns — one because a motor home ran out of gas and another because of mechanical problems — forced traffic into one lane and started the backups.

While the construction zones are tricky to navigate, at least for drivers who are speeding and not paying attention, a sunny forecast for the Fourth of July weekend appeared to add to the problems.

Northbound traffic was still unusually heavy, although moving steadily, at 10 p.m., Cropper said.

Staff Writer John Richardson can be contacted at 791-6324 or at:

jrichardson@pressherald.com