The Maine Department of Transportation will spring into action this May, beginning the long awaited Barters Island Bridge improvement project. Reed & Reed of Woolwich won the construction project contract with an $8.2 million bid. In May, the contractor will begin with prep and utility work with construction beginning in June.

Reed & Reed will construct a temporary bridge prior to the current structure being closed from Nov. 1, 2019 to May 30, 2020. A temporary bridge will be built for handling one-way traffic while the project is underway, according to MDOT resident engineer Glenn Philbrook. Once work on the main bridge begins, a new swing span will be added which will increase its length from 20 to 27 feet. Construction work will also replace the bridge’s center spear pier.

The project’s ultimate completion date is Oct. 15, 2020, but MDOT wants the bridge operational sooner. “We want the bridge open for two-way traffic by May 30, 2020. We will start work this summer leaving the channel open. Once everything is in place, we’ll put the last span in for a temporary bridge, and open it up for one-way traffic,” Philbrook said.

MDOT is also close to finalizing plans for replacing Southport’s Thompsons Bridge located near Robinson’s Wharf. Philbrook is also guiding this project. MDOT expects to advertise for a contractor in March. Philbrook reported the new bridge would be wider than the current one. MDOT plans to begin the bridge replacement in September 2019 with completion by October 2020.