East channel of Penobscot closed for bridge demolition

 September 21, 2006

The east channel of the Penobscot River between Old Town and Milford was closed to boat traffic last Friday. According to a press release from Devin Anderson, Project Manager for MaineDOT, boat traffic under the Route 2 Bridge is currently prohibited due to concerns that debris may fall while the bridge is being demolished. The demolition will not affect traffic on the detour bridge, the portion of the new bridge that has been constructed so far, or the adjacent railroad trestle.

Demolition of the existing bridge, which consists of a series of concrete arch spans, is already underway. But, Anderson says, due to the poor condition of the existing bridge, the contractor hired by the Department of Transportation, Reed & Reed of Woolwich, Maine, had encountered unanticipated difficulty in removing the concrete arches in manageably small pieces.

The original demolition plan called for catching the concrete debris on temporary false work placed under the arch spans. But the contractors found this approach to be impractical after large portions of the concrete arches were knocked loose during the demolition process. The revised demolition plan will allow the concrete to fall to the river bottom, then the debris will be removed using a crane equipped with a clam-bucket shell.

“The inherent design of this structure does not lend itself to removing the arch spans in small pieces,” Anderson explained. “This revised demolition plan will provide a safer work environment for the contractor’s people, but could present a hazard to boaters. State and federal environmental agencies have been notified of this and concur that the change is necessary for the safety of the workers. Signs alerting boaters of the closure have been posted.”

Stage One of the bridge replacement project has been completed, with sewer lines and Verizon telephone lines switched and installed to portions of the new bridge. Demolition of the existing bridge will continue through November, as portions of the new bridge are built concurrently. The current work on the bridge is part of a $9 million bridge replacement project which is scheduled to be completed in 2008.  The MaineDOT first began working on the bridge last July.