BRUNSWICK, Maine — Following a lawsuit by historic preservation groups, state officials said Tuesday that the construction of a new bridge between Brunswick and Topsham could begin later this year.
Officials from the Maine Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that a new Federal Highway Administration draft found that the cost of rehabilitating the Frank J. Wood Bridge over the Androscoggin River would be "much greater" than replacing the bridge.
MDOT said the finding was not publicly available on Tuesday but would be posted on its website Wednesday afternoon.
Unless unanticipated new issues arise, the MDOT said it plans to advertise this summer or early fall for construction bids for replacing the bridge, with work to begin later this year.
The finding is in response to a federal court order following a lawsuit by historic preservation groups seeking to restore the original bridge.
Groups including Friends of the Frank J. Wood Bridge said state and federal officials circumvented the legal process before making the decision.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker found in favor of the federal and state departments of transportation, and a federal appeals court earlier this year ordered the Federal Highway Administration to further analyze the cost difference between replacing and restoring the bridge.
MDOT says the analysis found the cost to restore would be "much greater" than to replace the bridge, and that specific information will be available Wednesday.
"For MaineDOT, this project has always been about ensuring a safe and reliable connection between these two communities," MDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note said in the release. "The Federal Highway Administration has again confirmed what we have long known to be true: that the safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of our new bridge plan is the best solution. State and federal agencies with the responsibility for this bridge crossing, as well as local officials, have determined that our new bridge plan is solid. Now is the time to move forward and serve the broader public interest to better connect these two villages."
According to the department, the bridge is "fracture critical" and in poor condition. In November of 2021, MDOT prohibited all commercial vehicles, including fire trucks and school buses, from using it.
The total cost of the replacement project is expected to be $33.5 million. In 2019, the estimated replacement cost was $13 million. By September of 2020, MDOT estimated the replacement cost at nearly $20 million.
According to the MDOT website on Wednesday, "The Section 4(f) Re-Evaluation affirms that the 53% difference in 2019 Life Cycle Costs between replacement and rehabilitation alternatives is a cost of extraordinary magnitude in the context of the Project at issue. This Re-Evaluation also affirms that as a result of the cost of extraordinary magnitude the rehabilitation alternatives are not prudent and feasible."
The MDOT website says that MDOT and the Federal Highway Administration are seeking comment for 30 days on this limited scope Draft Section 4(f) Re-evaluation.
Comments on the finding can be made online here through Aug. 29.
