There’s still no contractor selected for a multi-year bridge replacement project in Old Town that was expected to start in February.
The Maine Department of Transportation plans to replace the bridge that carries Stillwater Avenue over the Stillwater River through a series of projects that will likely last three to four years and cost about $20 million.
The bridge will be closed during construction, so the department will put up a temporary bridge upriver to ease the flow of traffic. The uncertainty over the timing means it’s unclear when Old Town drivers will encounter a detour on a major artery in town.
In September, the department purchased properties in the way of the project that would need to be demolished.
At the time, the department said work on the project could begin as soon as February. However, the department still hasn’t selected a winning bid to complete the project, according to spokesperson Paul Merrill.
The work also involves new pavement and the reconstruction of sidewalks on a road that saw 84 crashes between 2016 and 2018.
The project was set to go out to bid in December, Merrill said last fall.
Merrill on Tuesday said the department is still reviewing bids from contractors and did not say when the work could start, as that would be determined by the company selected to complete the project.
The bridge was originally built in 1952 and is in poor condition, according to an MDOT presentation given to the city of Old Town in 2019.
The early work includes paving on Stillwater Avenue, College Avenue and Bennoch Road, plus the reconstruction of sidewalks within the project zone, Merrill said. Prep work is slated to begin in February.
Additionally, the traffic signals at College Avenue and Bennoch Road will be replaced, he said.
A pedestrian was killed in 2019 at the Bennoch Road and Stillwater Avenue intersection after he was struck by a truck with a plow attached to the front of it.
The bridge replacement will result in a wider span with a sidewalk, Merrill said.
The road work also involves adding a second left-hand turn lane on College Avenue at its intersection with Stillwater Avenue so cars can more easily turn onto Stillwater in the direction of I-95.
As part of the project, the department identified three properties that were in the way of the work. The department purchased two of the buildings, which will be demolished. The third property owner agreed to move the building that is in the way to a different part of the property.
