WESTBROOK, Maine (AP) Work has begun on a dam removal project on a southern Maine river that’s expected to restore river flow to areas that haven’t experienced it in centuries.

The Portland Press Herald reports crews began removing the first of two dam headwalls on the Presumpscot River in Westbrook earlier this week. The work will allow water to flow over Upper Saccarappa Falls for the first time in generations.

The dam removal’s a piece of a larger project designed to restore fish and wildlife habitat on the river. It’s also expected to improve the stretch of river near downtown Westbrook for residents and visitors.

Michael Shaughnessy, president of the Friends of the Presumpscot River, says the work means “you can see a view that you haven’t seen since the 1800s at least.”