YORK  — Residents of York are going to have to plan on a little extra time spent in the car while repairs are being made on a bridge that carries motorists over the Maine Turnpike.

The Cider Hill Road Bridge in York was closed for repairs by highway crews Monday. 

Repairs include concrete deck rehabilitation, fixing the bridge’s deck expansion joints and a permanent snow fence installation.

The bridge is expected to be closed for 28 days while undergoing repairs.

A detour route with marked signs during the bridge rehabilitation is rerouting motorists to the Scotland Bridge Road, along with Beech Ridge Road and to U.S. Route 1. Traffic detours are about 5.7 miles total.

Officials from the Maine Turkpike Authority say that the Cider Hill Bridge carries more than 5,650 vehicles per day over the turnpike’s mainline.

A number of message boards have been put in place to inform approaching travelers on the turnpike of the bridge’s closure.

The Cider Hill Road Bridge repair work is one of four bridges included in a $984,032.05 project awarded to contractor Wyman & Simpson, Inc. of Richmond. 

The project consists of bridge and culvert repairs in Ogunquit, Saco, York and Scarborough.

— Executive Editor Ed Pierce can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 326, or by email at editor@journaltribune.com.