Work on a bridge replacement project in Windham delayed by sharp reductions in federal transportation funding will begin in 2027 after state funding for the project was obtained.
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| MaineDOT has put the Loveitt Bridge replacement on River Road in Windham on its 2027 schedule of projects. The $4.220 million project will replace the bridge and widen the bridge's travel lanes. COURTESY PHOTO |
Located 0.13 of a mile north of Laskey Road on River Road in Windham, the $4.220 million project will replace the Loveitt Bridge over the Pleasant River. The bridge was originally built in 1947 and is 88 feet wide and made of concrete and steel.
Maine DOT inspectors say the bridge is structurally deficient with advanced deck deterioration, minor section loss to the superstructure, minor substructure deterioration and major damage to the river’s bank there.
Current estimates show about 8,100 vehicles use the bridge daily, with about 3 percent of that traffic being heavy trucks. During the past three years a total of 23 crashes have been reported in that area.
Mills says that while this newly resourced funding addresses MaineDOT’s immediate needs, it does not resolve the long-term structural challenges facing Maine’s transportation program. She said that inflation, increasing construction costs, aging infrastructure, and transportation revenues that have not kept pace with those costs continue to create significant funding pressures.
“The $1.4 billion added to the highway fund over the past eight years demonstrates the scale of Maine’s transportation funding needs and the lack of a sustainable, long-term funding solution,” she said. “Maintaining Maine’s integrated transportation network in a safe and serviceable condition requires substantial ongoing investment.”
Just to preserve current highway and bridge conditions in the state and make only limited improvements, MaineDOT administrators estimate that an additional $195 million in state resources are needed in State Fiscal Year 2029 beginning July 1, 2028 with that funding gap expected to continue growing as inflation and federal funding reductions drive project costs even higher.
According to MaineDOT Commissioner Dale F. Doughty, the department will work with Mills, the incoming 133rd Maine Legislature, transportation stakeholders, local communities, industry partners, and the public to develop sustainable, long-term transportation funding solutions that preserves Maine’s ability to maintain and improve the infrastructure residents, visitors, and businesses depend on every day.
“We recognize that our transportation system touches every household and every business, every day,” Doughty said. “We plan carefully, adjust when necessary, and keep our focus where it belongs, on delivering a transportation network that serves Maine.”
The Loveitt Bridge replacement project was originally listed on Maine DOT’s Three-Year Plan of statewide transportation projects in 2022 and had been scheduled to be take place in 2025 before being delayed. The original project in 2022 was listed as a bridge deck replacement only at a cost of $1 million.
The bridge is named after Jonathan Loveitt, who was part of a pioneering family with deep roots in the Windham and Gorham areas. Jonathan Loveitt established early local mills, a store, and a homestead near Gambo Falls along the Presumpscot River. At one time, Babb’s Bridge connecting Windham and Gorham over the Presumpscot River was also known as Loveitt’s Bridge but was subsequently renamed. <
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