At a public hearing on Nov. 3, the Maine Dept. of Transportation described their plans for the replacement of the Davis No. 2 Bridge on Goose Hill Road, over Davis Stream in Jefferson.
As discussed and agreed upon by Jefferson residents at another public hearing earlier this year, DOT representatives said they will oversee the installation of a single-lane bridge next summer. The project is expected to cost just under $500,000, none of which will come from town funds, said DOT Project Manager Steve Bodge at the hearing.
During construction, Goose Hill Road will be closed around the bridge for four months next summer, Bodge said. The closure will create a four-mile detour for residents traveling to areas near the bridge.
Closing the road will make the project less expensive, create a lower impact on the surrounding area, and ultimately “we’ll get a better bridge,” Bodge said.
The DOT expects the project to go to bid in late March 2011. Construction will likely begin in early June 2011 and be complete in late October.
Once complete, the speed limit on the bridge and surrounding road will remain 45 miles per hour. The weight limit on the new bridge will be 45 tons.
Currently, the bridge has a six-ton weight limit, which prevents school buses and industrial vehicles from crossing the bridge. This has created a problem for some residents, such as Nathan Northrup, who said his trucks frequently drive through the area.
However, because of the heavy restrictions already in place on the bridge, the complete closure next summer should produce fewer major problems, residents said.
Although the DOT requires some adjustments to the right of way around the bridge for construction, they have been “excellent about working with [residents],” said Jefferson resident Suzanne Hamilton, who owns property abutting the bridge. “So far they’ve been very good about listening to my concerns and working with me,” she said.