MADAWASKA, Maine — Cars and trucks should be traveling internationally via the new Madawaska-Edmundston bridge by the end of the year if there are no delays in completing two ports of entry.
Woolwich-based contractor Reed and Reed Senior Superintendent Greg Letourneau, who is overseeing construction of the new span, said Wednesday that work is slightly ahead of schedule and nearing completion.
The majority of remaining work on the bridge is formwork removal, Letourneau said. Formwork is a mold in which concrete or similar materials are cast.
Aside from this, he said the bridge rail is up and complete and the lines of the road are striped.
The old bridge, located to the east of Twin Rivers Paper Company, runs straight into Canada. And the new bridge, which is west of Twin Rivers, will connect Madawaska and Edmundston diagonally. It is nearly twice the length of the old bridge. It is also roughly 1,300 feet upriver.
The existing bridge is roughly 100 years old and, according to the Maine Department of Transportation, it has deteriorated to the point where it would be impractical to continue investing in repairs. The bridge was posted at five tons in 2017, meaning many large trucks that would normally cross the border at Madawaska now have to travel about half an hour to either Fort Kent or Van Buren. Smaller vehicles still cross the bridge.
A contract was awarded to Reed & Reed in 2021 to build the new bridge for $86,532,251.
The total cost of the project, which includes demolishing the old bridge after the new one opens to traffic, is $97.5 million. The U.S. Federal Highway Administration awarded the project with a $36 million Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant and the remaining costs are shared by both MaineDOT and the New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (NBDTI).
Letourneau said the exact opening date of the bridge has not yet been determined, as it depends on the completion of two separate projects.
“The new Madawaska port of entry is being constructed and the Canadian port of entry is being reconstructed,” he said. “The opening date will not be determined until the opening of the new Madawaska port of entry is determined.”
DOT officials estimate that the bridge will be open to traffic by the end of the year. And they estimate that the entire project, including demolition of the old bridge, will be complete by June 30, 2025.
Reed and Reed will meet with the General Services Administration on Thursday, at which point Letourneau said they will receive an update on the anticipated opening date.
“It’s been a good project for Reed and Reed,” said Letourneau. “It’s been a really good coordination effort with our Canadian counterparts and working with the folks in the federal government with the GSA. It’s been good working with all involved.”
