The Babb’s Bridge, connecting Gorham and Windham on Hurricane Road, has reopened to traffic after repairs were completed by the Maine Department of Transportation.
The covered bridge was severely damaged in August 2024 when a dump truck which exceeded the three-ton limit fell through the wooden base of the structure, into the Presumpscot River.
While it’s one of just eight remaining covered bridges in Maine, the current Babb’s Bridge is no longer the original bridge built in 1840. That structure was destroyed by arson in 1973. The current bridge was reconstructed by the Maine DOT using locally milled lumber and historically authentic techniques and reopened to traffic in 1976.
For this repair, Maine DOT Director of Communications Paul Merrill told Mainebiz that costs totaled $110,000 and that the work was finished ahead of schedule.
In addition to structural repairs, “we also replaced the deck and the [ornamental] doors while we were out there,” Merrill noted.