Veterans Memorial Bridge design unveiled
Transportation officials Thursday unveiled the design for a new Veterans Memorial Bridge in Portland.
On Jan. 13, Maine Department of Transportation revealed who the low bidder was — Reed & Reed Inc. of Woolwich, a company that has built several high-profile projects in Portland, including the Ocean Gateway marine terminal. Reed & Reed Inc. submitted a low bid of $63,122,000.
The quarter-mile long bridge, which serves as a primary connector between Interstate 295 and Portland's West End, is used by more than 23,000 vehicles a day, but it's showing signs of age, the Maine DOT noted. A 9-square-foot pothole formed on the southbound side of the bridge last February, and twice the bridge has been closed for deck repairs.
Although state highway officials insist the bridge remains structurally sound and safe to cross, officials also agree the bridge has outlived its usefulness and needs to be replaced.
On Jan. 7, the state closed the southbound lanes of Veterans Memorial Bridge overnight in order to repair a failing bridge joint on a nearby exit ramp bridge that carries southbound traffic from Veterans Memorial Bridge to the southbound lanes of I-295.
Construction will begin this summer. The new bridge should open in the summer of 2012. The transportation department says it will be the state's largest construction project this year.
In the newly unveiled designs, the new Veterans Memorial Bridge is shown with a walking and bicycling section separated from the driving lanes. The goal of the new bridge is "to move vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic safely and efficiently between Portland and South Portland,” said David Cole, Maine DOT Commissioner. “It also must be a fitting tribute to Maine’s many veterans who served their country.”
The design team will hold a public meeting early this spring to gather further community input and finalize the design elements of the bridge, Maine DOT reported in a press release. Construction on the new bridge is estimated at 33 months. The new bridge is expected to open to traffic in July 2012 with the removal of the old bridge being completed in December 2012.
Reed & Reed’s team includes Falmouth-based T.Y. Lin International as the team’s lead design and engineering firm.
— The Associated Press contributed to this story.
