The aging bridge that links Durham and Lisbon Falls is marked for replacement, with construction scheduled to begin next spring, Maine Department of Transportation officials said.
Although the height over the Androscoggin River’s Worumbo Falls will be the same when completed in October 2016, the new $6.8 million bridge will be onethird wider. Additionally, the Lisbon abutment will be positioned five degrees to the northwest — upstream toward Lewiston-Auburn — to make for an easier approach from the Lisbon side.
State Route 9, also known as Newell Brook Road, will have extensive slope stabilization work done at the same time but under a separate project. The state is looking for one contractor to manage both projects concurrently to minimize traffic obstructions and construction redundancy.
MDOT plans to put both projects out to bid by “early spring” of 2014, according to bridge project manager Leanne Timberlake.
“Traffic will be maintained on the old bridge while the new one is built,” Timberlake said. “It’s a two-year project, at a site that’s very difficult to access.”
The existing bridge, built in 1936, is narrow — only 22 feet curb to curb. It’s also difficult for large trucks or combination trailer vehicles to negotiate.
Although the span is relatively sound, given its 77-year age, crumbling concrete on the travel deck lends the impression that it could collapse into the Androscoggin at any time.
The new bridge will be 32 feet wide inside the curbs, with 11-feet-wide lanes and a 5-feet-wide shoulder on each side.
It will be built with “weathering steel,” Timberlake said, which forms a thick coat of rust that is airtight and prevents further rust from forming on or in the beams.
An informational meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, to discuss the projects with residents of both towns.
jtleonard@timesrecord.com
BRIDGE WORK
WHAT: MDOT bridge replacement/ Route 9 stabilization meeting
WHEN: 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 4
WHERE: Durham Fire Station, Route 9/615 Hallowell Road, Durham
ONLINE: Artist’s rendering
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