Bridge repairs begin on North Street

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Elna Seabrooks
WORK BEGINS — Three three-man crews from MDOT started extensive repairs on the North St. Bridge last week. One lane will remain open for traffic going south and detours will guide cars going north.
By Elna Seabrooks
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Detours, orange cones and workers wearing hard hats with neon striped vests will be par for the course over the next six to eight weeks as MDOT does major repairs to the North St. Bridge.
    Tim Donahue, bridge maintenance supervisor for MDOT, said when work began last week, “we are taking the wear surface off because it was beyond repair. It needed to be replaced.” He and his crew had worked the same area “over the winter too many times to count and remember.”
    While some men worked to tear up the old concrete, others used power tools causing sparks to fly as they removed reinforcement bars where concrete had already been pulled off. No matter where you looked there were clouds of dust arching upward and outward offering little resistance to the slightest gust of wind. “It’s dusty. That’s just part of the nature of the beast which is why my men are wearing respirators.”
    The repairs began last Thursday with three three-man crews. Donahue said “just have patience we’ll get this done as soon as we can.”
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Elna Seabrooks
SPARKS FLY — After the old surface was removed workers wearing respirators used power saws to remove reinforcement bars so new concrete can be poured.
    This week Town Manager Doug Hazlett also asked for patience as the work continues. During the town council meeting he reminded those in attendance or watching the proceedings at home to follow the traffic detour signs. One lane on the bridge will always be closed so that work can continue, said Hazlett. The one that remains open will only be open to southbound traffic.
    Donahue said the whole bridge will be replaced with new hot top at the ends of the bridge. “The wear surface was old,” Donahue explained. “And, once you get a hole and the water starts to get into it with the cold and the expansion, it just keeps making the hole bigger and bigger as the traffic pounds on it.”
    Both Donahue and Hazlett expressed their hope that the work will go quicker and traffic snarls will be kept to a minimum.