The Maine Department of Transportation will conduct a routine inspection of the 86-year-old bridge connecting Deer Isle and Sedgwick later this month, as local officials urge the agency to get started soon on replacing the key piece of infrastructure.
The state conducts safety inspections every two years to keep the bridge, the only road connection between Deer Isle-Stonington and the mainland, in working order.
That’s critically important for island residents, as the bridge carrying Route 15 over Eggemoggin Reach connects them to emergency services, jobs, education and supplies on the mainland. It’s an economic gateway for the state’s top lobster port and a population that roughly doubles each summer from tourists and second homeowners.
To avoid losing that connection, local officials want to start the process of replacing the bridge now, which they expect could take up to a decade and could get more difficult as waterfront land continues to be developed. Even just posting a weight limit on vehicles going over the bridge could cause big problems, given the need for trucks carrying shellfish and other products to cross it, they say.
But the state has estimated replacing the bridge could be the most expensive highway and bridge project in Maine history, costing hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the Ellsworth American.
The DOT has started the process of designing a replacement for the Deer Isle Causeway, a stretch of road not far south from the bridge that was impassable last January when two storms covered it with 18 inches of seawater, as well as rocks that Town Manager Jim Fisher compared to bowling balls.
The bridge is the remaining point of vulnerability for access to the island, and officials in Deer Island and Stonington want the state to put preengineering plans for its replacement on its next three-year work cycle, according to Fisher. That alone could cost millions and take several years.
If a new bridge was built next to the old one, he said it would help to start buying land for its base on the Sedgwick side now, as larger homes are being built in that area.
The DOT’s latest work plan includes an investigation this year to determine the bridge’s remaining lifespan and its need for replacement. It isn’t aware of any specific damage, according to spokesperson Damian Veilleux.
Island officials are concerned about its narrowness, what they call its functionally obsolete design and evidence of some corrosion and broken wires in its suspension cables.
Recent inspection reports say the bridge’s deck and superstructure, or road area, are in “satisfactory condition” with “minor deterioration.” Its substructure — which props it up — is labelled in good condition with minor problems. Last year, a cable inspection found them satisfactory and didn’t recommend bridge replacement.
Overall, the bridge had a 36.6 rating out of 100 on a federal sufficiency scale in 2023. That number is calculated with a weighted formula that includes its structure and safety, usefulness and ability, importance to the public and other reasons why it might be impaired.
Because the bridge is state-owned, town officials don’t have control over what happens to it, but they’re working on backup plans. Last year, they ran a mock exercise for an emergency response, and this year hope to do something similar with a broader scope to plan for longer-term recovery.
“Our goal is to have a contingency plan for a prolonged outage,” Fisher said. “We have been asking Maine DOT for this, but have not received any significant plans.”
The upcoming inspections begin April 28 and are expected to run through May 16, according to the department. One lane of Route 15 may be closed between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The inspection is contracted to a Boston consultant for $395,000.
