Photo / Courtesy MDOT
Babb’s Bridge, between the Cumberland County towns of Gorham and Windham, was once Maine’s oldest covered bridge. It burned and was rebuilt in the 1970s.
Updated: September 4, 2024
After gravel truck accident, repair of southern Maine covered bridge could take months
Photo / Courtesy MDOT
Bridge beams were damaged when an overweight truck fell through the deck of Babb’s Bridge.
The deck repair of a covered bridge between the Cumberland County towns of Gorham and Windham is expected to take several months.
After Maine Department of Transportation bridge engineers inspected the structure last week, the department said it expects Babb's Bridge to remain closed to traffic until next spring.
Engineers determined that some of the bridge beams were damaged when an overweight dump truck fell through the bridge deck. The repair work can be accomplished by MaineDOT crews, but the lumber will need to be milled specifically to match the species and dimensions of the lumber on the bridge, the department said.
Procuring the materials is expected to take several months, meaning construction is unlikely to happen before the spring.
MaineDOT did not have an estimated repair cost.
The bridge has a posted weight limit of three tons. According to the Gorham Police Department, the dump truck was loaded with crushed gravel, which would have made the weight of the vehicle several times the posted limit. The truck entered the bridge from the Gorham side and fell through the first panel of the bridge deck into the river below.
Babb's Bridge is a covered bridge that carries Covered Bridge Road over the Presumpscot River between Gorham and Windham. Hurricane Road is the approach road on the Gorham side.
The single-lane bridge is a state-owned structure. On an average day, approximately 360 vehicles cross its.
The original Babb's Bridge was built in 1840. Named for the family that lived nearby, it was Maine's oldest covered bridge until it was burned by vandals in 1973.
MaineDOT crews rebuilt an exact replica using lumber milled in Gorham and historically authentic construction techniques. The replacement bridge opened in 1976.
The bridge is wood and the abutments on either side of the river are stone.
Babb's Bridge is inspected at least every two years, according to the department. The last inspection took place at the end of July. The weight limit on the bridge was first posted at three tons in 1983 and has not changed since then.
The bridge has been plagued by vandalism, including a 2014 report of vandals cutting holes in the roof, the department said. It closed in early 2015 due to damages caused by a snow plow. Repairs were completed in the spring of 2015 and the bridge reopened to traffic.
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Anonymous
September 5, 2024
The owner of the truck and/or driver should be billed for every last penny it takes to repair!
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