One person was injured after a bridge that was being reconstructed in Old Town collapsed Thursday afternoon.
The injured person was removed from the collapsed bridge and taken to the emergency room, according to the Milford Fire Department. It’s unclear what the person’s injuries are. The initial emergency call was for multiple injuries, but it was corrected to reference a single person.
The Maine Department of Transportation has been building a replacement for the Llewellyn Estes Bridge, which carries Stillwater Avenue over the Stillwater River. The under-construction bridge collapsed in the middle, leaving part of the bridge touching the river and portions of wood and debris floating down the river. Traffic has been crossing a temporary bridge during construction that remains intact.
The collapse happened at roughly 1:45 p.m., according to emergency radio traffic. The collapse happened while workers were pouring concrete, according to a statement from the Maine Department of Transportation. It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse. Department spokesperson Andrew Gobeil said more information will be released later today.
Dozens of department workers were on the bridge before 2:30 p.m. Ambulances and fire trucks from multiple departments responded to the scene, but only one remained at that time. The temporary bridge reopened to traffic by 2:50 p.m.