Reed & Reed Inc. of Woolwich has begun work on the new Dresden-Richmond Bridge.
Project Manager Charlie Guerette reports the project is going well and is on schedule. He says it is expected to open to traffic in October of 2014.
Guerette says the crew is currently working on excavating, ledge work and placing pier three. Sometime within the next week they will be working of the bridge’s foundation and will be hauling in 900 cubic yards of seal placement.
Guerette says that he is hoping that all of the main piers can be completed before the Kennebec River freezes, usually around Jan. 1.
The finished bridge will be 70 feet high, which will allow for boats to pass through. It will also be about 10 feet wider than the existing bridge, but will still only have one lane in each direction. “The bridge will look like Augusta’s Third River Bridge,” said Guerette.
Guerette says that motorists coming through the construction area have been using caution. “We really appreciate cars slowing down,” he said.