WINSLOW
Work to begin later this year on Winslow's Mile Brook Bridge
Seven years of waiting finally to end
By Scott Monroe smonroe@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer
WINSLOW -- Seven years of waiting is expected to end later this year when work starts on replacing the Mile Brook Bridge on Garland Road.
VIEW FROM BELOW: Replacement of the the Mile Brook Bridge in Winslow will begin later this year.
Staff photo by David Leaming
But the major project's arrival will come at a higher cost -- about $6 million -- and take longer than originally planned. A state official says that's in part because of erosion caused by the summer 2008 removal of the Fort Halifax Dam on the Sebasticook River.
Town Manager Michael Heavener said town officials are relieved that the project is moving forward after years of stagnation, dating back to 2003.
"It is an important project," Heavener said. "The bridge is in desperate need of repair and we're happy the Department of Transportation is finally going to address the concerns we've had about the condition of it."
Heavener noted that the bridge project isn't going to directly cost the town; federal funding will cover 80 percent of the cost and the state will kick in the balance, Heavener said.
According to town records, the Mile Brook Bridge was built in 1947 and handles an estimated 2,500 vehicles a day. Plans call for the bridge to be rebuilt to handle about 3,500 vehicles a day.
During construction, cars driving on Garland Road will be rerouted to North Reynolds Road, which connects with Route 137.
State transportation officials expect to request building proposals this coming June and award the job to a firm by the fall, according to Nate Benoit, project manager for the state Department of Transportation's bridge program. Under that timetable, preliminary work could start later this year, major construction would start in spring 2011 and a new bridge should be up by that fall.
"It's been deferred and deferred; it hasn't competed well for priority for construction funding," Benoit said. "We had one plan a while back to do a superstructure replacement, but when they took the dam out we had one pier ... become susceptible to erosion."
Thus, instead of just replacing the bridge's steel beams and main deck, workers will also replace the large piers holding the bridge up, Benoit said. Removing the existing bridge and building a new one will take about a year more than originally planned, for a total construction timetable of 18 months or so.
In 2003, the estimated cost for a superstructure replacement was $3.4 million and a complete bridge replacement was estimated at $4.2 million. Now, the estimated price tag is $6 million to $6.5 million, depending on the bridge's design.
That section of Garland Road will be closed during construction as the old bridge is removed and a new one put in place, he said.
Is the current bridge a danger?
"We are monitoring that one pier; we have some concern with it," Benoit said. "If we get a significant storm event we have a bridge inspector check it out to make sure there hasn't been furthering erosion near that pier. It's a project we're keeping close attention to and we do have some concern, which is why we inspect it regularly."
Scott Monroe -- 861-9253
smonroe@centralmaine.com
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Copyright ©2010 MaineToday Media, Inc.
12 COMMENTS
logicalview said...
Another big bill sent to the taxpayer as result of dam removal. FPLE sure took the Town for a ride on this one! The Town Manager seems relieved because the added cost of the bridge project isn't costing the town directly. Who does he thinks supplies the feds and the state with money?
March 8, 2010 at 7:12 AM Report abuse
TheSaint said...
The Winslow Town manager seems to believe that if a project is paid for with federal and State funds, the Winslow taxpayer is off the hook. This is exactly what's wrong with elected, and in his case appointed officials. They think taxpayer dollars come from a money tree.
March 8, 2010 at 8:06 AM Report abuse
wollydevil said...
Just close off the bridge they can use the North Reynolds Rd.
March 8, 2010 at 8:33 AM Report abuse
Aldin said...
I'm glad I don't live in Winslow anymore. I grew-up there and that bridge seemed scary 20 years ago. Yes, it is a shame, they can't go after FPL for this too. Oh, and I never heard anyone call it "Mile Brook" when I lived up that way. It's always been called Outlet Stream as it's the outlet to China Lake.
March 8, 2010 at 8:40 AM Report abuse
usedtolivein said...
Why do you always let the environmentalists and fish lovers off the hook (pun intended)? They wanted that dam removed and fought every proposal to keep it. They have to take most of the blame. Quit blaming FP&L. Sure they have the big pockets. But why do you never mention the ones that really wanted the dam gone. Make them pay some too.
March 8, 2010 at 8:46 AM Report abuse
AKMaineiac said...
I've canoed and hiked, fished, that section of Mile Brook, and the dam removal had nothing to do with the endangered pier. That situation existed before the dam was removed. The pier is situated near the main channel of the brook, which actually moves in most rivers and brooks over time depending on runoff amounts, ice jams, debris during floods. Biggest difference since the dam was removed is you can see it.
March 8, 2010 at 10:19 AM Report abuse
logicalview said...
AKMaineiac must know more than the MDOT because they found the erosion caused by the removal of the dam put the pier at risk of failure. That is why they are closely monitoring the one pier for further erosion by the stream in cases of storm events. Not only can taxpayers thank the fish people and FPLE for spending their tax dollars, the people on the North Reynolds road can look forward to 2500 cars a day being detoured for 18 months.
March 8, 2010 at 11:22 AM Report abuse
TheSaint said...
logicalview said...the people on the North Reynolds road can look forward to 2500 cars a day being detoured for 18 months.********** There isn't 2500 cars a day there in even a week possibly a month. Let's just make stuff up as we go along.
March 8, 2010 at 3:42 PM Report abuse
logicalview said...
To help The Saint understand, the 2500 vehicles a day was from the newspaper article. No need to make stuff up when it was reported....just have to read!
March 8, 2010 at 4:39 PM Report abuse
TheSaint said...
MDOT doesn't indicate 2500 per day. They claim approximately 318 cars on average. I'll take there numbers from their auto counters versus some number the newspaper came up with out of thin air. Go back to reading your comics.
March 8, 2010 at 10:28 PM Report abuse
AKMaineiac said...
I was canoeing and fishing there well over 20 years ago, sometimes during the times the impoundment was drained down and Mile Brook was just a trickle. Anyone knows that streambeds and rivers move over time, especially brooks which are prone to massive flooding and waterflow only at certain times of the year. The pier was built when the bridge was, and it was built to standards when it was built. I'd be willing to bet when they build the new one, it will be set on bedrock, or on pilings driven into bedrock, as they do today when they build a bridge. Had thing thing been set into bedrock or on pilings, the pier wouldn't be an issue today. Money wise, we'd be alot better off to do away with the bridge, buy all the houses on the North Reynold's Road, and built a real road there. No bridge. Course, nobody looks at the long dollar.
March 8, 2010 at 10:45 PM Report abuse
TheSaint said...
AKMaineiac - Money wise, we'd be alot better off to do away with the bridge, buy all the houses on the North Reynold's Road, and built a real road there. No bridge. Course, nobody looks at the long dollar. ************** Actually, not a bad idea! Also, consider building a road across the field just north of the bridge and connecting with the China Road. That alone would be cheaper than a new bridge.
March 9, 2010 at 9:49 AM Report abuse