The Old Town bridge over the Stillwater River will be closed next week as inspectors work to determine what caused a span to collapse during construction.
The Wednesday closure is the next step toward determining what caused the new Llewellyn Estes Bridge to collapse on Aug. 14, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.
Workers were pouring concrete on the bridge about 1:45 p.m. when the span collapsed, injuring one person.
Inspectors have assessed the temporary bridge carrying Stillwater Avenue over the eponymous river and found no collateral damage from the collapse.
The bridge is being constructed by Woolwich-based Reed and Reed Inc. using Winterport-based engineering firm Basalt International’s fiber-reinforced polymer and girders designed by the University of Maine’s Advance Structures and Composites Center.
Basalt International has heralded the polymer, which was developed in Maine, as a “miracle material.” The Advance Structures and Composites Center’s girders, known as GBeams, have been used for two new bridges in Hampden and others across the country.
Few details have emerged about what may have caused the collapse.
The Maine Department of Transportation is working with the Federal Highway Administration to piece together what happened to the $28 million bridge.
It’s unclear how the collapse will affect the bridge’s price tag and the timeline for completing construction.
Next week’s closure will require traffic to detour around the site along previously used routes.