Residents in Augusta, Maine will see construction begin this month on the Rines Hill Bridge, one of the main routes to downtown Augusta.
The project to replace the Rines Hill Bridge is scheduled to start soon, with sections to close down on March 20, leaving one lane of traffic open. Motorists will start to see the affect of the construction around March 13 with periodic daytime lane reductions.
On March 20, the route is scheduled to be reduced to one lane, carrying only northbound traffic. All southbound traffic is to be detoured around the project, using Winthrop and State streets.
The traffic pattern is expected to continue for most of the project, until the spring of 2024.
According to Michael Hall, executive director of the Augusta Downtown Alliance, the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) has held several public forums on the project so the downtown community has been aware of it for some time. The bridge carries the primary gateway into downtown from Western Avenue, and keeping the northbound lane open during construction should keep traffic disruptions to a minimum.
“As with any construction project, there are some feelings of anxiety, but we are confident business will go on as usual,” Hall said. “The fact the northbound lane remains unaffected means traffic will continue to flow from Western Avenue unhindered.
“Our chief concern is to see that this construction is completed in a timely manner, with an absolute minimum amount of disruption to business. Rines Hill Bridge is a small section of our downtown and we are confident that in the end, we will emerge stronger as a community, with a safer and more attractive gateway.”
MDOT officials said the bridge has deteriorated and is at the end of its useful life.
According to MDOT's reports on bridges in Augusta, the Rines Hill Bridge, built in 1939, was last inspected in November 2022. Its deck condition and substructure condition are rated “poor,” while its superstructure condition is rated “fair.”
An average of 4,500 vehicles per day cross the span, which measures 61 feet long and 42 feet wide, according to DOT data. The steel-and-concrete bridge goes largely unnoticed by many motorists passing over it.
Plans for the new bridge call for steel beams and a concrete superstructure, and steel railings along the roads leading to the bridge.
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Source: PressHerald.com
