BOWDOIN, Maine — In the town of Bowdoin, bridge construction has caused residents who live on a dead-end road to have to thoroughly plan their lives for three days, and some said they wished there was better communication from the town of Lisbon, which is doing the work.
Burrough Road runs through both towns and dead-ends in Bowdoin. A small bridge over a stream was already aging and was badly damaged by spring storms. So, crews hired by Lisbon planned to work through Wednesday, putting in a temporary one.
The construction site is only open to foot traffic during installation, and Lisbon Town Manager Glenn Michalowski said a farmer that offered to house parked vehicles in their field on the open side of the bridge changed plans on Friday due to rainy weather.
The town's Facebook page alerted residents to the change Friday morning, and Michalowski told NEWS CENTER Maine on Monday that the farmer instead mowed a path to land near their barn, with Michalowski saying the farmer "went above and beyond" to help their neighbors. This information was not posted on the city's Facebook page or website.
Online commenters on the post, claiming to live on Burrough Road, as well as a handful of residents we met on Monday, said they wished the town had worked out a more solid plan for them.
"I can understand it needs to be done, but I wish that the parking thing was a little bit more thought through for the people that have to work," Arlene McIver said, who had returned from a doctor's appointment, thanks to a ride from a friend, and walked across the bridge to her daughter, awaiting in a side-by-side.
"No one really knew what that was going to look like going into this morning," Josh Gauthier said. "Parking was a bit haphazard because they changed those plans a couple days ago."
Gauthier met during his lunch break in Lewiston. He was able to make it to work, thanks to a ride. However, he said, other family members on Burrough Road had to take days off from work. One relative said they had just started their job and had not yet accrued paid time off and, thus, would not be paid until the bridge opened and they could drive.
Around 1 p.m. Monday, Hannah Lynaugh and Tom Scofield approached the bridge carrying groceries and pet food. They said they owned multiple cars and were able to park on either side of the bridge before the closure. But they were not unaffected.
"I got meds from the VA that were supposed to come tomorrow that aren't coming," Scofield said, looking toward the deconstructed bridge. "I just thought about that."
A notice posted on the Town of Lisbon website explained a plan for dealing with emergencies during the closure.
"The Lisbon and Bowdoin Fire Departments have developed an emergency response plan in the event of a fire," the notice read. "However, the priority will be that of life safety. Police and EMS responses are also in place through the appropriate agencies. Responses, however, may be delayed."
On Monday evening, a resident reported a fire truck and police vehicle were staged on the closed side of the bridge.
The temporary bridge is expected to open at some point on Wednesday. Lynaugh and Scofield wondered aloud if severe storms forecasted for the region on Tuesday could further delay their vehicular freedom.