The contractor for the Maine Department of Transportation’s Great Falls Bridges Project has announced the bridge linking Gorham and Windham will be closed for about 45 days starting next week.
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| Scott Construction Corporation of Portland will close the Great Falls Bridges over the Presumpscot River for 45 days for bridge wearing work. The closure starts at 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 18 and is expected to continue to Wednesday, Oct. 1. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE |
The bridges are located about 0.5 miles west of River Road. The project was first detailed on MaineDOT’s list of road and bridge projects in its annual Three-Year Plan in January 2023.
According to a recent MaineDOT study, the average daily traffic crossing the Great Falls Bridges between Windham and Gorham is 1,910 vehicles per day with about 8 percent of that traffic consisting of heavy trucks.
The scope of work for this bridge project consists of replacing the wearing surfaces on both Great Falls Bridges. The east and west bridges span the Presumpscot River between North Gorham and Dundee Ponds. MDOT officials say that replacing the wearing surfaces for the bridges will preserve the longevity of their existing decks and superstructure.
The actual bridge wearing surface replacement involves 350 feet of approach work, installation of guardrail transitions and flare terminals, and expansion joint modification. Workers will also install concrete coring connect to the bridge beams and remove a troublesome light pole that conflicts with the new guardrail plans.
The project’s purpose is to improve the condition of the existing structures while preserving the existing deck and superstructure longevity of the bridges.
Scott Construction says it intends to minimize impacts to the traveling public and impacts to adjacent properties and utilities throughout the project and implement a cost-effective solution to fixing the bridge’s wearing problem.
Maintenance of traffic during construction will be achieved by closing the bridges and detouring traffic to an alternate route.
All project work will use specific erosion control measures conforming to the latest version of State of Maine Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges and the Department of Transportation’s Best Management Practices for Erosion and Sediment Control.
Both Great Falls Bridges were built in 1970 and during its most recent MaineDOT inspections, each show signs of significant cracking and rutting on deck and surfaces.
The bridge site is located near the Great Falls Dam, one of the first sources of hydroelectric power in the Lakes Region of Maine.
Estimated MaineDOT funding for the Great Falls Bridges Wearing Replacement Project is $500,000. <
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