BLUE HILL — The Falls Bridge, which is going to be constructed anew by the Maine Department of Transportation, will be closed Aug. 29-31, according to Andrew Lathe, who is project manager for the DOT.
The closure will begin at 6 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 29, and be in place until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 31, Lathe said. Traffic will be routed from Route 175 to Route 172.
“This closure is needed to safely erect the crane for assembly of the temporary bridge,” Lathe said. “The temporary bridge will be in construction during the month of September in anticipation of switching traffic to the temporary bridge in early October. This will require an additional single-day closure in the middle of September to pave the temporary road approaches and tie them into Route 175.”
This week, there is alternating traffic on the bridge due to delivery of materials for crane and bridge erection, said Lathe. “This device uses a traffic light signaling system that is controlled by a single flagger who has direct line of site to both signal devices.”
Cianbro is using an automated flagging assistance device between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. this week — through Friday, Aug. 26. Traffic outside of those hours is open to two-way movement.
The state says the Falls Bridge, which is nearing 100, has advanced deterioration with heavy cracking in areas of concrete. Several embedded stones at the base of the structure are showing signs of movement. The underside of the bridge has extensive cracking and heavily corroded steel, according to a DOT report.
The new bridge, which Lathe described as consisting of five “precast concrete girders with exterior girders supporting an aesthetic fascia panel,” will accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. Provisions made to facilitate recreation on a new bridge has been an ongoing request from residents who attended public hearings about the structure over the past 18 years.
Cianbro Corp. was awarded the contract for replacement in January for $9,456,460.
There was only one other bidder, Woolwich-based Reed & Reed Construction, which bid $13,328,428.
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