LINCOLN COUNTY - The Maine Department of Transportation will be rehabilitating the Southport Bridge the movable bridge that carries Route 27 over the Townsend Gut at the Boothbay Harbor/Southport town line. Specifically, this work will involve replacing elements of the bridge structure, overhauling the electrical and control system, replacing mechanical equipment, and adding safety features.

Mobilization of the site started earlier this month. Construction work is scheduled to begin on October 30th. Crews will be on site, installing traffic control items in advance of the start of work. The anticipated project completion date is May 29th, 2025.

During construction, there will be an alternating single-lane traffic pattern on the bridge. There will be limited times when the contractor is allowed to close the bridge to vehicle traffic between 11:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. to install mechanical equipment and perform functional testing of the bridge. Emergency vehicles will still be permitted to cross the bridge during these closures.

There will be two periods of time when the bridge will not be able to open to allow the passage of marine traffic. The first closure period is scheduled from this month to May 17th, 2024. The second closure period is scheduled from September 30th, 2024 to May 17th, 2025. The U.S. Coast Guard has implemented a safety zone around the work area effective from October 23rd, 2023 through May 17, 2024.

Pedestrian access to the bridge will not be restricted during construction.

The contractor on this project is Cianbro of Pittsfield. The contract amount is $20.9 million. This project was awarded a $7.64-million federal BUILD grant in 2020.