BATH, Maine — Demolition of the 59-year-old viaduct that carries Route 1 over local streets and the Central Maine and Quebec Railway lines before connecting to the Sagadahoc Bridge over the Kennebec River continued Sunday night as crews from Reed & Reed Construction knocked down supporting piers and sections of highway.
Work on the $14 million reconstruction project has continued 24 hours a day since Oct. 11 with an eye toward reopening before the 2017 summer tourist season.
To meet that goal, traffic on Route 1 has been diverted through downtown Bath, prompting detours and traffic delays.
Residents who live near the construction also are enduring nonstop noise, vibrations and dust from the demolition, but Glenn Philbrook, project engineer for the Maine Department of Transportation, said in a release that there’s no alternative, though it should ease up by the end of the month.
“Noise is one of the toughest challenges,” Philbrook said. “There just isn’t any way to do this kind of work quietly. To accelerate the construction schedule, crews are working day and night. Noise at night is not ideal, of course, but local residents should expect it to continue through mid- to late November. Then it will abate somewhat and occur only with such major activities as concrete placements for the pier columns and crane work for setting pier caps and superstructure beams.”