Load restrictions signs have been posted for the bridge over the Little River on Route 237 between the roundabout and Route 25 because the Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) is making plans to rebuild it in 2020.

According to Devan Eaton, DOT project manager, “the bridge is safe to use by the traveling public.” The posting, “38 Tons, one truck at a time,” is intended to limit large truck traffic that could further damage the bridge. Currently about 7,000 vehicles cross it every day.

At a meeting on September 5, Eaton and representatives from Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, Inc. (HTA), a bridge design firm, outlined plans to replace the steel two-girder structure built in 1952 with “a low maintenance bridge that works for everyone.” The new bridge will have a concrete deck supported on welded steel girders and concrete abutments supported on steel piles. It will be very similar to the one built on Route 202 last year.

Although the deck and roadway were replaced in 1988, age and rust damage from salt have weakened the 100 foot bridge enough that the DOT has prioritized construction of the new one. A public meeting will be held in Gorham this winter at which time the DOT will present approved preliminary plans, proposed detours, and construction duration. Final design and permitting is scheduled for 2019 with construction beginning in 2020. Estimated to cost about $2,300,000, it will be fully funded with state and federal money.

Many conditions make this a more complex project than it might first appear to be. There are higher constructional and environmental standards than there were when the bridge was built in 1952. Also, utilities run on, under, and above the bridge. Because of the heavy traffic on Route 237 and the lack of major arteries in the area, the DOT will either construct a temporary one-lane bridge with a stop light on Route 237 or designate a detour that could send drivers down Route 202 from the roundabout to Route 25 in Gorham. Estimated construction times are six months with a temporary bridge and 45-60 days with a temporary detour.