Business owners close to the Frank J. Wood Bridge are anticipating a busy holiday season with fewer traffic headaches for their customers as the new span linking Brunswick and Topsham over the Androscoggin River opens to traffic.
The new bridge officially opened on Dec. 12, after partially opening briefly in November.
Staff at Dutchman’s Bagels, located at Fort Andross, just off the Brunswick side of the bridge, noticed a drop in business when construction crews closed the historic bridge to two-way traffic in the fall, rerouting drivers to the Topsham Bypass and Route 196.
“We noticed we were a bit slower, but at the same time, we were exiting fall and heading into the colder months, so I think people were really trying to adjust to everything,” said owner Jeremy Kratzer.
The project replacing the nearly 100-year-old bridge, which carries Route 201 over the Androscoggin, began construction in April 2023, after the Maine Department of Transportation rated the bridge in poor condition.
The project initially faced lengthy legal delays as historic preservation groups sought to stop the demolition of the 1932 bridge, though challenges were ultimately rejected in federal court.
Traffic closures on the old bridge began in September.
Though the side parking lot at Dutchman’s remained open during this period, Kratzer said people might have been wary of turning at the temporary traffic signal leading up to the closed bridge. He suspects some customers chose to park in the front lot of the Fort instead — near the entrances of several other businesses — making it tough to find a spot during busy hours.
“We appreciate everybody who made the trek and the journey to us, even though it obviously wasn’t the most ideal for three months,” Kratzer said.
Generally, Kratzer said customers he has spoken to are excited to see movement on the new bridge after months of having to account for closures in their commutes.
“It’s going to be much smoother, and I think people can have their routine back,” he said.
Cory King, executive director of the Bath-Brunswick-Topsham Regional Chamber of Commerce, said less traffic is a relief for both business leaders and consumers. He recalled one instance when it took him 40 minutes to get from the Topsham Fair Mall to Cook’s Corner in Brunswick for a chamber event.
“I don’t think anyone anticipated the type of traffic we would have on Route 1 just because the bridge was closed,” King said.
Now, the new bridge “feels like it’s always been there,” he said. He’s also excited that it offers more space for pedestrians traveling between the towns.
“As much as [the closure] was an annoyance as it was happening, we’ve got a bridge that’s going to last us years and years,” King said.
Some features of the new bridge project include sidewalks on both sides, wider shoulders, lighting improvements, unobstructed views of the Pejepscot Falls and parks on both ends of the bridge. It’s designed to last at least a century, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.
The entire project is expected to be completed by late 2026, according to MDOT. A spokesperson didn’t respond to questions about when or how the old Frank J. Wood Bridge would be demolished.
Reed & Reed, of Woolwich, is the contractor on the $49.9 million project.
The nonprofit Brunswick Public Art is planning to select an artist to create a sculpture made from recycled steel from the soon-to-be-demolished historic bridge to be placed at the entrance of the new structure.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new bridge is scheduled for the new year, according to the MDOT.
This story was originally published by the Maine Trust for Local News. Katie Langley can be reached at klangley@metln.org