Every six months, inspectors check the Frank J. Wood Bridge that connects Brunswick to Topsham because the 1931 span is in poor condition.
And every six months, Topsham Selectboard Chairman Dave Douglass wonders if a new restriction will be put in place. Already, a weight limit prevents all commercial vehicles from using the bridge.
The latest round of inspections is this week — Tuesday through Thursday.
“Every time they inspect, there could be a further restriction put on,” Douglass said Monday. “For me it’s, what’s next? A number of people won’t even drive on it anymore. They change their routes.”
The Maine Department of Transportation proposed replacing the bridge in 2016, but a citizen group has fought them in court in hopes of having the bridge repaired, rather than replaced.
John Graham of the Friends of the Frank J. Wood Bridge group described the inspections as “a little inconvenience,” but said he continues to question the state’s budget figures and believes that the historic bridge should be saved.
“It should be preserved and maintained,” he said, noting that no work can begin until the Federal Highway Administration issues a final decision on the project.
Maine DOT spokesman Paul Merrill confirmed that the state is awaiting completion of a federal review, but that the agency anticipates being able to advertise for construction bids before the end of the year.
The delays have left those who use the bridge over the Androscoggin River in limbo, Douglass said.
“An overwhelming amount of people want this bridge replaced,” he said. “It’s not the DOT slowing this up. It’s not local government. It’s a few individuals in the court system.”
It’s been a costly delay too.
Estimates to replace the bridge have ballooned from $13 million in 2017 to $33.5 million in 2022.
Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber Executive Director Cory King said his group, which represents more than 400 area businesses, continues to push for the replacement to get underway.
“It is rusted,” he said. “It is in a state of disrepair. We need to progress. We need to move forward and let’s get this done.”
As proposed, the new 835-foot bridge will have sidewalks on both sides, parks on both ends and views of the Pejepscot Falls site. It will also be bike and pedestrian-friendly, according to the department.
Inspectors will be on the bridge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Southbound traffic from Topsham to Brunswick will be able to cross the bridge, but northbound traffic will be detoured to the Topsham Bypass and Route 196.
Recent inspections have shown “aggressive deterioration” on the bridge.
The state estimates it will take two-and-a-half years to build a new bridge, during which time the current bridge will continue to be in use. King worries the bridge might not last that long.
A bridge closure — whether it’s a total ban on vehicles or one-way traffic — could hurt businesses in downtown Brunswick, King said.
“Once people get used to not going a certain way, they don’t go that way anymore,” he said.