SACO — Construction work continues on the Stackpole Creek Bridge, and Saco officials hope to have it open to through traffic next month.

The bridge takes traffic over the Stackpole Creek on Simpson Road, in rural northern Saco. 

The original bridge was built in 1848 at the request of farmers to connect their farms to the mills of Biddeford and Saco, according to a 2013 report done by Maine Preservation. 

The bridge was noted for its keyhole-shaped arch and the 2013 report referred to it as the oldest stone bridge on a public road in Maine and at the time it qualified to be put on the National Register of Historic Places.

The bridge was closed to traffic in 2013, and last year the city a $1.3 million project to rehabilitate the structure began.

The newly rehabilitated bridge will no longer qualify for the National Register of Historic Places, but care has been taken to preserve some of the unique features of the original bridge, including the unique keyhole arch.

In rebuilding the bridge, stone embankments were removed, the masonry arch was reinforced, and concrete footings to support a vertical concrete retaining wall support system were installed, according to a January report from the city. 

Stones from the original embankment were used to rebuild the facade and recreate the look of the original stone work.

Saco Public Works Director Patrick Fox said in an email on Wednesday that paving the roadway on the bridge and constructing the guardrails are the only substantial items remaining on the project and are planned for mid-July.

Fox said as soon as the city can maintain at least one lane the bridge will be reopened to through traffic.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.