BIDDEFORD — City Planner Greg Tansley drives every workday from his home in Portland to his office in Biddeford’s City Hall. But he envisions a day when he can make that commute without the use of his car. That day is drawing near thanks to funding from the Maine Department of Transportation for a pedestrian bridge over the Saco River that will connect Biddeford and Saco.

Once that bridge is completed, as early as next year, Tansley and people like him could take the Amtrak Downeaster from Portland or other stops along the train line and exit at the Saco Transportation Center. From there, they could walk along Saco’s RiverWalk to the pedestrian bridge, and cross over the Saco River into Biddeford, connecting to its RiverWalk, construction of which will begin this year.

The riverwalks in both cities are in their respective mill districts and have easy access to both communities’ downtowns.

The bridge will be located at the old steam pipe bridge that was constructed when steam produced in Biddeford’s mill district was also piped to Saco to power its mills. 

The twin cities collaboratively applied for funding under MDOT’s Quality Communities Program. They were awarded $265,000 to pay for engineering and preparation of construction bid documents for the bridge. With an additional local match of $66,000, Tansley said the total cost for this project is $330,000.

The engineering and bid documents should be completed this year, he said, and added he expects to receive funding from the same program for construction costs.

Construction of the bridge, which will be approximately 8 feet wide and 140 feet long, should take place next year, said Tansley.

Saco is already on the way to completing the necessary components of its riverwalk that connects from the site of the proposed bridge to the train station.

This spring, Biddeford will begin the first phase of its riverwalk, according to Tansley.

The first phase, for which the city received $500,000 from the state, will be used to reconstruct a portion of the river wall in front of North Dam Mill that has been badly damaged. It will also be used to construct a river overlook and a small portion of the walkway along the river from the entrance of North Dam Mill off Main Street to the steam pipe ”“ not the steam pipe bridge.

Next summer, said Tansley, he believes construction of the connecting path from the first phase of the riverwalk to the steam pipe bridge will take place. This walkway will be built along the mill buildings, not the river.

The planning for Biddeford’s RiverWalk has been going on for about two years, and now it is coming to fruition, said Alix Hopkins, Biddeford RiverWalk Coalition director.

An important element of the plan has always been to create a loop connecting Biddeford and Saco, she said.

“This bridge is really a key piece in creating this loop,” said Hopkins, because it connects to the Saco train station.

In addition, she said, the riverwalks in both cities “give people views of one of the most spectacular parts of the cities, and the bridge is right in the middle of it.”

The design for Biddeford’s completed riverwalk will connect from Biddeford’s Main Street to Elm Street.

The long-term vision is that the Riverwalk will be part of a path walk connecting to other local, state and even national trails.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.