AUGUSTA - A new Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) draft finding confirms again that the cost of rehabilitating the Frank J. Wood Bridge is much greater than the cost of replacing it. This draft finding is a response to a federal court's March 2nd instructions for additional explanation of cost analysis.
The Maine Department of Transportation will post this finding on its website tomorrow afternoon at www.maine.gov/mdot/env/frankjwood/. In accordance with federal process instructions, comments on the finding will be accepted for 30 days until August 26th. Comments can be made online at this website. FHWA will then review all substantive comments thereafter. Unless unanticipated new issues arise, MaineDOT plans to advertise for construction bids for the replacement project this summer or early fall, and construction of the new bridge would begin later this year.
As planned, the Towns of Brunswick and Topsham will be connected by a reliable new bridge with enhancements that will better serve all users, including pedestrians and bicyclists. The new bridge is designed to last for at least 100 years. It will be built on a curved upstream alignment and will feature sidewalks on both sides including pedestrian viewing bump-outs, wider shoulders on both sides, parks on both ends, other special bridge details requested by the communities, and unobstructed views of the natural and architectural features of the surrounding Pejepscot Falls site.
"For MaineDOT, this project has always been about ensuring a safe and reliable connection between these two communities," said MaineDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note. "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."
The current Frank J. Wood Bridge was originally constructed in 1931. MaineDOT began the process to improve this crossing in 2014. The bridge is fracture critical and rated in poor condition. Recent inspections of the bridge have showed severe section loss and aggressive deterioration. In November 2021, MaineDOT had to prohibit all commercial vehicles from using the current bridge.
"Deterioration of a steel truss bridge like this one does not always happen in a linear, predictable fashion," said MaineDOT Chief Engineer Joyce Taylor. "We are inspecting this bridge every six months. As its condition worsens, we will continue to take steps to make sure it remains safe to cross. We understand the negative impacts that postings have on the nearby communities. Unfortunately, we cannot rule out that additional use restrictions may be necessary between now and when the new bridge is opened to traffic."
The next inspection of the existing bridge is scheduled for late September.
In 2017, the estimated construction cost to replace the Frank J. Wood Bridge was $13 million. Due to the unprecedented and unexpected delay in delivering the project and the dramatic increase in construction costs since then, the 2022 edition of MaineDOT's three-year Work Plan lists the total cost (including construction and engineering) at $33.5 million. In simple terms, the years of delay have at least doubled the cost of the project reducing bridge improvements that could be made across the state.