HAMPDEN - The Maine Department of Transportation is replacing the Grist Mill Bridge in Hampden. This bridge carries Routes 1A and 9 over Souadabscook Stream. The bridge is approximately one-fifth of a mile northeast of Elm Street. We are demolishing the old structure, which consists of three bridges built on top of one another. The most recent bridge dates to approximately 1950. We closed the bridge to traffic today and are encouraging drivers to avoid the area using Route 202 and I-395. Local traffic on Route 1A will encounter a short detour. This bridge replacement is part of a project that includes reconstruction and paving work on a nearly-two-mile-long stretch of Route 1A. The total cost for the project is approximately $8.9 million. The contractor on this project is T. Buck Construction out of Turner.
We started this bridge demolition work earlier than expected. We had planned to wait for the school year to end in order to minimize traffic impacts. Since COVID-19 has closed schools and dramatically reduced vehicle traffic on Maine roads, we are starting this work now. We hope this will accelerate the timeline of this project, which was originally scheduled to be finished next year.