Deterioration shuts down Memorial Bridge
Structural problems have led transportation officials to close the Memorial Bridge between Maine and New Hampshire, and questions remain about whether it can be reopened before its scheduled demolition in 18 months.
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation decided to close the bridge to vehicular traffic Thursday following an inspection that showed unsafe deterioration, according to the Portland Press Herald. A spokesman for the DOT told the paper the states must do more analysis before determining if repairs could be made at a reasonable cost. The Memorial Bridge is scheduled to be dismantled in 2012, and construction of a new bridge would likely take another 18 months. Officials in both states have been working to devise a plan and find funding to replace the bridge and rehabilitate or replace the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, a project that will cost between $200 million and $300 million. In October, the project won a $20 million federal grant.
Business owners in both states along the Route 1 stretch between Kittery and Portsmouth told the paper the bridge closure will result in lost business during the holiday season and beyond, should the bridge remain closed.
Go to the article from the Portland Press Herald >>
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