The Ferry Point Bridge between Calais, Maine, and St. Stephen, New Brunswick, reopened to traffic Nov. 5, about three weeks ahead of schedule, according to the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT). The department announced the reopening in a Nov. 10 release.
Crews are still repairing the bridge abutment, and MaineDOT says it has not set a firm completion date.
What was planned and what was done
MaineDOT said on Oct. 1 that it would close the bridge over the St. Croix River starting Oct. 13 for six weeks, with work expected to finish by the end of November. The closure covered deck rehabilitation and repair of the bridge joint on the Maine side of the border crossing.
The Oct. 1 notice put the start of the closure at Oct. 13. If the bridge closed on schedule, it was shut about 23 days. The department credits close coordination between the design team and construction crews. Crews replaced the end portion of the bridge deck and reset the bridge joint on the Maine side.
A repair sized to the bridge's remaining life
MaineDOT says a future capital replacement project is planned, so the team focused on repairs sized to the bridge's remaining service life. The release does not give a date, cost or design for the replacement, or an estimate of how many years the repaired bridge is expected to last.
During the closure, MaineDOT told drivers to use the Milltown International Bridge, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, or the International Avenue Bridge, also called the St. Stephen Third Bridge, which is open around the clock. Commercial traffic had to use the International Avenue Bridge.
What is still open
The release does not say whether lanes or hours at the Ferry Point Bridge are restricted while abutment work continues. It says the remaining schedule depends on weather and scheduling constraints. The department's media contact is Andrew Gobeil, 207-624-3355.
