MADAWASKA, Maine — Connecting the United States and Canada over the St. John River for nearly 100 years, the Madawaska-Edmundston International Bridge is scheduled to be replaced.
It’s a vital part of commerce and trade between the two countries but due to its age there is now a 5-ton posted weight limit to warn drivers leading up to the bridge.
“This bridge needs to be replaced,” said Paul Merrill, spokesman for the Maine Department of Transportation, adding that the life expectancy of a bridge is about the same as a person, making this bridge “pretty much functionally obsolete. It has outlived its use.”
Discussions between the two nations about replacing this bridge have been ongoing for years.
“We have meetings all of the time about planning, funding, and the design,” said Merrill. “We’re hoping that this project goes out to bid hopefully in about a year.”
According to the MaineDOT, the bridge sees an average of 2,500 vehicles crossing daily.
“A lot of people cross this bridge for commerce and for family reasons,” added Merrill. “It is a huge part of the economy up there. The next closest crossings from the U.S. to Canada are quite far away. This bridge is vital for the communities on both sides of the border.”
There are also environmental impacts to take into consideration.
“There are certain environmental regulations that need to be followed,” added Merrill. “The river is adjacent to two nations, so the environmental work windows are different for the U.S. and Canada, meaning the amount of time that we are able to work in the river. It adds another layer of complication.”
Photo Gallery: Madawaska-Edmundston International Bridge
Also, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents working at this border crossing need a safe and secure location to conduct their business while construction is ongoing.
“It’s a big project,” said Merrill. “It’s a multimillion-dollar project to build even a small bridge. As you can imagine, how complicated that gets when you involve a foreign nation, potentially speaking a different language. I know that our Canadian counterparts have discussions in their own parliament in Ottawa about this project just as well as we have to have conversations with our colleagues at the federal level in Washington, D.C. There’s probably more factors at play in this project than there would be in any other bridge project in the state of Maine because of the fact it’s a link to a Canadian province.”
An early estimate has the price tag for this project at $74 million dollars, though $36 million dollars has already been secured by the U.S. through a grant from the federal government.
“Just because the current structure is half and half, it doesn’t necessarily mean the bridge will also be half and half as far as how much is in Canada and how much is in the U.S.,” said Merrill.
Sen. Susan Collins worked to secure that federal grant for nearly half the cost of the project but the source for the remaining $38 million dollars is still to be determined.
The bridge replacement project is expected to take at least 3 years to complete, from start to finish.
“My understanding is there will be a crossing there during construction because the detours are significant,” said Merrill.
For additional information about this project, please visit the MaineDOT's website here.