Maine Department of Transportation still hasn't determined the circumstances causing the Barters Island Bridge's closure earlier this summer. On Oct. 7, the bridge had been closed for nearly six weeks. The Boothbay Register emailed three questions in an effort to better understand the bridge's challenges. Those questions were: Why hasn't the bridge's problem been isolated? When is MaineDOT going to hold a public meeting with residents explaining the problem? Why, after five years, is this new bridge having problems?

On Nov. 1, Director Andrew Gobeil of the Office of Communications and Creative Services sent the following response. "MaineDOT has engaged engineers specializing in movable bridges to support ongoing work at the Barters Island Bridge. Their focus is on developing a safe approach to lifting the bridge and accessing areas that require closer examination, while preserving traffic access on the island. Planning for this work remains underway. The technical challenges involved will take additional time to resolve, and the bridge will remain closed through the end of the year. A reopening date has not been established. MaineDOT will share new information with affected communities as the work progresses."