Walk right up: New pedestrian bridge taking shape

Westbrook residents will soon have a more scenic – and safer – way to get across the Presumpscot River to and from downtown Westbrook.

A new pedestrian bridge, which was already on the construction site last week waiting to be assembled, is a major piece of the $6.2 million bridge replacement project and is a focal point of the pedestrian-centered enhancements that the city tacked onto the project.

But while surrounding businesses are excited for the end result, more headaches for parking and pedestrians could be coming during the final phase. Officials from the city, Reed & Reed Construction and the Maine Department of Transportation will host a meeting Wednesday, March 23, in the Edwards Block building to inform nearby businesses about the next portion

Construction crews last week were working at the site of the former Bridge Street bridge, which was demolished to make way for a new pedestrian bridge over the river.

of work, which includes a complete overhaul of the Edwards Block parking lot, impacting tenants.

“The extent of the work will have an effect on off-street parking around the Edwards Block, as well as on street parking on Main Street and pedestrian access to buildings,” Eric Dudley, Westbrook’s director of public services, said in an email Tuesday. “It is our hope that we can have a productive dialogue related to any challenges that the building owners and tenants will experience as a result so that we can reduce the impact as much as reasonably possible.”

Amenities included in the city’s portion of the bridge project are designed to turn the downtown into a more walkable and business-friendly destination. Both sides of the pedestrian bridge will receive facelifts with landscaping and lighting, especially on the southern side of the river, at the former culmination of Bridge Street between the Edwards Block building and the Frog & Turtle restaurant.

According to Jack Turner, the foreman on the project for Reed & Reed, the pedestrian bridge will be placed over the river during the last week of March, but won’t be ready for public use for a few months due to remaining construction. He said it will be heavily barricaded for safety until construction is complete.

Turner said the Edwards Block work includes regrading the parking lot, resetting lighting and granite and repaving. He said there have been parking issues for the building, as well as motorists who still turn down the former Bridge Street, hoping to get on the bridge.

He said that while construction is under way on the parking lot, some temporary parking will be available in Saccarappa Park, which is being used by Reed & Reed as a laydown area for construction. Part of the project is an expanded boardwalk with an overlook of Saccarappa Falls.

For the impacted businesses, the work conjures a mix of emotions. James Tranchemontagne, who owns the Frog & Turtle, said Tuesday that Reed & Reed has kept the construction site clean and routinely checks in to see how things are going. But, he said, he’s concerned about traffic flow and parking surrounding his business.

He said he’s advocated for “commuter” parking in the CVS lot for nearby businesses, freeing up space in the smaller parking lots behind his business along the riverwalk.

“This has been an issue before construction. One of Westbrook’s nicest draws is its free parking for it citizens and visitors,” he said. “We should be making that easier through signage and designated employee parking for workers in the downtown.”

Steve Shaffer, whose business, Black Dinah Chocolatiers, is located in the Edwards Block building, said this week that the construction has caused some difficulty for customers to find them. Currently, Edwards Block visitors are met with a dead end in the parking lot, a change from when it used to connect to the Bridge Street Spur. He added that there still is constant confusion over the former Bridge Street intersection

“I think once the project is completed, there will be some tweaking that will have to be done to the old intersection as there is a lot of confusion about how to get in and out,” he said.

Shaffer said, however, that he’s excited for the project to be finished, adding that it will be a “huge advantage” in attracting people.

Dudley said the portion of construction includes many streetscape details including new lighting, tree plantings and concrete planters.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” he said.

For Westbrook residents, the finished product will certainly be an upgrade from current conditions, where pedestrians must traverse a makeshift sidewalk over the new Bridge Street bridge, as well as multiple crossings that have been impacted.

When the new bridge opened to traffic just after Christmas, complaints from pedestrians about unsafe conditions rolled into the city about the new intersection at Bridge and Main streets. Following complaints, the traffic light was reconfigured to give pedestrians an exclusive walk signal.

Turner said due to the size and scope of the construction site, which is changing many commuter patterns that have been used for decades, it leads to complications.

“It’s a very clustered site,” he said. “There is a lot of foot traffic and car traffic there, and to get them to all think the same is very difficult.”

As part of the city’s investment, entrances to the pedestrian walkway will offer scenic overlooks on each side. The southerly side will directly connect to the existing riverwalk, and construction on the northern side could eventually tie into an extended riverwalk north project.

New sidewalks along the former Bridge Street intersection and Main Street will allow for outside dining, with new landscaping also being added. Some trees along the former Bridge Street and Main Street have already been cut down so that sidewalks can be widened.

The project is funded mostly by the state, with the related public improvements paid for by the city, at an estimated cost of about $1.4 million. However, after offsetting grants and state compensation, costs to Westbrook will fall to under $1 million.

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