EAST MACHIAS, Maine — A temporary bridge on Route 191 that was closed Monday afternoon has been reopened to traffic, according to a state official.
The temporary bridge, which was put in place while the Maine Department of Transportation replaces a permanent bridge over the East Machias River, was struck by a vehicle Monday afternoon, MDOT spokesman Ted Talbot indicated Monday in a brief statement.
The temporary bridge was shut down while MDOT engineers assessed the damage from the crash. It was reopened to regular traffic early Tuesday afternoon, Talbot said.
The bridge crosses a portion of the river north of the East Machias village, where Route 191 passes between Hadley Lake to the west and Gardner Lake to the east.
Motorists familiar with the area could have used local roads to get around the bridge, going out of their way by about 2 miles, Talbot said.
During the bridge closure, however, MDOT was directing northbound heavy trucks and through-traffic to take Route 1 at least as far as Dennysville, 24 miles away, to get to destinations farther north, he said.
Southbound traffic faced with the closure, without using local roads, would have had to drive 40 miles through Marion Township, Dennysville and Whiting to get to the East Machias village.
