BRUNSWICK, Maine — There are new developments in the years-long fight over whether to repair or replace the Frank J. Wood Bridge connecting Topsham and Brunswick.
Earlier this week, the Brunswick Town Council passed a resolution calling for the Maine Department of Transportation to "proceed immediately with the replacement of the Frank J Wood Bridge."
It "urges the plaintiffs to respect the public and legal processes that have occurred to date and forego any further legal action that would continue to delay the construction of a new bridge," the resolution states in part.
Topsham's Select Board will weigh in on a similar resolution at its meeting on March 16.
According to Maine DOT spokesperson Paul Merrill, the bridge replacement project was opened for bids on Wednesday.
"The people of Brunswick, Topsham, and the surrounding communities have been impacted by the weight restrictions of the existing bridge and have waited long enough for their new bridge. It is in the public interest to move forward to prevent further economic impact and to address concerns over public safety," Merrill said in a statement.
According to Maine DOT's re-evaluation of the project released earlier this year, the project is expected to cost roughly $42 million. In 2017, when the project was first introduced, Maine DOT expected the replacement to cost roughly $13 million.
"The costs of other alternatives, including bridge rehabilitation, would have increased at similar rates. If MaineDOT had not encountered prolonged legal and process delays that coincided with a dramatic rise in construction labor and material costs in recent years, the department would have been able to deliver this project at a much lower cost," Merrill wrote in part.
The project has been subject to lengthy legal battles that have delayed any construction. In late February, organizations working to preserve the 92-year-old bridge filed another lawsuit, this time in federal court challenging the project.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Historic Bridge Foundation, Friends of the Frank J. Wood Bridge, and Waterfront Maine Brunswick, LLC are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
Attorney's representing the historic preservation groups, and the Friends of the Frank J. Wood Bridge group, declined to comment on camera on Thursday and shared a statement first issued two weeks ago when the lawsuit was filed.
"In the face of this blatant bureaucratic arrogance and disregard for fiscal prudence with taxpayer dollars, the National Trust, The Historic Bridge Foundation, Friends of the Frank J. Wood Bridge, and Waterfront Maine Brunswick, LLC feel they have no option but to return to court and remind MDOT that federal laws apply to them," the statement stated in part.
You can read more about the Maine DOT's proposed plan here.