Carl Ayers (left), of engineering consulting firm VHB, reviews contractor bids for the Lynch Road construction project with the Newcastle Select Board during a meeting on Monday, Sept. 25 meeting. (Ali Juell photo)
At its meeting Monday, Aug. 25, the Newcastle Select Board approved a $1.25 million bridge construction bid in hopes of solving a longstanding structural issue at Lynch Road.
The board unanimously selected CPM Constructors, of Freeport, who had a $1,246,496.24 estimate for the project, to replace an existing culvert over Dyer Creek with a bridge.
The board hopes the bridge’s completion will mark the end of structural instability over Dyer Creek. The road’s culvert failed in 2010 after being installed in 2006 and failed once again in May 2023 during a rain storm.
Board member Ben Frey, who has been on the select board to consider all three Lynch Road projects, said he wanted to be certain this would be the final overhaul of the structure for a considerable period of time.
“This will be the third time we’re replacing (the culvert) in less than 20 years,” Frey said. “Both times we were assured that everything had been taken into account … that we would never have to (replace) it again.”
After the second failure, the select board decided a bridge was the best replacement option for the three-sided culvert based on a recommendation from engineering consulting firm VHB. The firm said the 50-foot span bridge should have a 75-year lifespan during discussions in 2023.
“This has happened twice; it shouldn’t happen again,” said Carl Ayers, a senior structural engineer at VHB at the Aug. 25 meeting. “The entire design was based on that.”
Ayers said the bridge’s construction will likely close Lynch Road from late September or October to next July.
Seth Hagar, vice president of Hagar Enterprises, was at the meeting and helped the board assess the different contractors.
In addition to CPM Constructors, four other contractors submitted bids for the bridge, including Wyman and Simpson, of Richmond; Reed & Reed, of Woolwich; Scott Construction, of Portland; and T Buck Construction, of Turner. The estimates ranged from $1.25 million to $2.22 million.
Hagar said he was confident in all five of the bids as well as VHB’s design plans.
“I have no doubt this will take some water,” he said.
Because all of the potential contractors seemed equally reputable according to Hagar and Ayers, the board ultimately decided on CPM because the company offered the lowest cost estimate.
Lincoln County was one of several counties eligible for federal disaster assistance following the May 2023 storm and flooding. Since the culvert was damaged during the severe storm, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Maine Emergency Management Agency will cover 75% and 15%, respectively, of the estimated $1,147,029 needed to construct a new culvert, Sutherland said.
As the town is replacing the culvert with a bridge to mitigate future damage, Sutherland said the Federal Emergency Agency is assessing mitigation expenses, which could lead to additional funding.
If the bridge’s construction and consulting costs total around $1.6 million, he said the town will hopefully end up paying less than $200,000 in the long run for the new bridge.
After selecting CPM, the board also approved a special town meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14 for residents to authorize the project’s financing. Town Manager Kevin Sutherland said the board will consider financing options at their next meeting.
The next Newcastle Select Board meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 8 at the Clayton V. Huntley Jr. Fire Station. For more information, go to newcastlemaine.us or call 563-3441.
