Please note the time change
Kittery ? As the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge (SML) replacement project continues, crews are dismantling the ?old? bridge.
On Friday, October 14th, the center lift span will be removed and floated out.
The current schedule, which is subject to change, is as follows:
4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. ? Final preparation work will be performed to remove the ends of the lift span and make final preparations as the barge moves into position.
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. ? The rising tide will lift the span off the bearings.
8:00 p.m. - Once clear, the span will be pushed to the state pier.
Note: If the final preparation work is not completed to allow for a safe float out, the float out will be suspended until the next tide cycle.
All work is scheduled to be completed during the navigational channel closure ending at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday.
The SML replacement project is a joint venture between the Maine and New Hampshire Departments of Transportation, with MaineDOT serving as the lead.
This project is part of a ?Three Bridge Agreement? between Maine and New Hampshire to address their jointly owned bridges spanning the Piscataqua River. The other two bridges are the ?high level? bridge that carries I-95, and the Memorial Bridge that links the communities of Portsmouth and Kittery, and offers vehicle, bike and pedestrian travel.
The design process began in 2013 and construction started in January of 2015. The new $158.5 million Sarah Mildred Long Bridge opens to traffic September, 2017.
The project is scheduled to be completed by June 1st, 2018.