With consideration for neighboring osprey, salmon and sturgeon, the Southport bridge project is nearing its scheduled completion at the end of May, according to Damian Veilleux, spokesperson for Maine Department of Transportation and Jordan Henshaw, Cianbro regional manager.

Information from MaineDOT shows the project was on the department's work plan in 2017 and became fully funded by 2023. The $20.9 million contract went to Cianbro to replace parts of the structure and mechanical equipment, overhaul electrical and control systems and add safety features. 

The bridge spanning Townsend Gut was constructed in 1939 and is reputed to be one of Maine's few remaining swing bridges. Identified as Maine bridge #2789, MaineDOT reported that an average of 3,255 vehicles drive across it each day.

Veilleux provided information about the project in a March 21 email response to the Boothbay Register's request for an update.

"The fender systems around all three piers are now complete, along with a new bridge deck, and all concrete repairs. Work is now being done to prepare for the new gate and traffic light systems. Machinery to operate the bridge is being installed, and the electrical work to run the machinery is underway," he said. "The timber sidewalk will be installed. Once the mechanical and electrical systems are installed, testing will commence. During the testing period, the bridge will be balanced and final alignments will be set."

According to Cianbro's  Henshaw, "The main components left to complete the project are electrical conduits and cable to the operator house, finishing mechanical repairs, installing barriers and gates, and final sealing of the concrete surfaces."

When asked if anything was a particular challenge given the age of the bridge or the site, Henshaw said the bridge's age didn't cause many challenges and surprisingly the original fender pile from 1939 was still in good condition.

But she said there were challenges in planning the construction while the bridge was in operation. "We also had to determine how to protect the workers and the public, especially given summer traffic and bridge openings."

Were there special considerations? "Yes," Henshaw said. "Special considerations had to be taken to keep one lane of the bridge open nearly all the time. The bridge is a very tight roadway, so extreme care had to be taken to leave the maximum amount of space for the traveling public while still allowing construction crews to work behind barriers."

"There is also limited space on each end of the bridge for laydown space, which made the project logistically challenging for moving around equipment and deliveries." She said this also meant a challenge in balancing "efficient construction with the needs of the public."

Henshaw also said winter's cold weather had an impact. "We had to use special heated blankets to protect the concrete while it cured. We also had to be mindful of our crews and their exposure to the wind off the water and ensure that we gave them sufficient breaks." 

The American Road & Transportation Builder's Association provides a compilation of bridge conditions in the U.S. On its website, it explains a bridge is considered "structurally deficient" if the condition of its deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert are individually rated at 4 or less by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in its National Bridge Inventory (NBI). Those four factors give the "sufficiency rating" of a bridge.

An inspection by MaineDOT in September 2024 reported the condition of the bridge as follows:

Deck Condition 5 - Fair Condition, Culvert Condition N - Not Applicable, Superstructure Condition 5 - Fair, Substructure Condition 5 - Fair.

Based on the ratings, a bridge is rated from 0 - 100% indicating if it is sufficient to remain in service, with 100% being the highest rating. The NBI showed Southport's swing bridge had a federal sufficiency rating of 43.6%

Work started on bridge #2789 in the fall of 2023 and, as Cianbro explained in a Facebook post, "... the team has been working on a rehabilitation that will extend the life of the bridge for another 30 years."