Preparations are underway for replacing the Pasture Bridge on Emmons Road in Kennebunk. (Dan King photo)
KENNEBUNK — Preliminary work has begun on the Pasture Bridge project on Emmons Road in Kennebunk.
The efforts, however, will remain sporadic until warmer weather arrives.
The project will replace the Pasture Bridge that crosses Ward Brook. The bridge is currently a timber load posting bridge with a capacity of three tons.
While the bridge belongs to the town of Kennebunk, every two years the Maine Department of Transportation does a survey of all bridges in the state.
After studying the bridge, the department of transportation offered to front 50 percent of project costs to replace it and make it sturdier to support the development in the area.
The need for a replacement for the bridge goes back a few years, with the fiscal year 2016-2017 capital budget that included a $500,000 Public Services Drainage and Bridge line item to be used specifically for the Pasture Bridge.
Calderwood Engineering of Richmond, Maine, designed the replacement structure after approval by the Maine Department of Transportation. The town of Kennebunk solicited bids for the replacement of the bridge. The plans for replacement were made available to all parties interested in placing a bid.
During the Sept. 25, 2018, board of selectmen meeting, the bid for replacement was awarded to T-Buck Construction of Auburn. T-Buck put in the lowest of the five received bids at $499,700.
T-Buck is no stranger to bridge rehabilitation in Kennebunk, having rebuilt the Mathew Lanigan Bridge between Kennebunk and Kennebunkport over the Kennebunk River two years ago.
The total cost of the project will be $549,670, including $49,970 10 percent project contingency.
The project qualifies for a reimbursement from the Maine Department of Transportation. The state will contribute $200,000 toward the project as part of its Low Use/Redundant Bridge program. With the $200,000 reimbursement, the cost to the town will be $349,670.
The agreement between the town of Kennebunk and the Department of Transportation was in force until December 2018, and will remain, thanks to a granted extension, until the end of the 2019 construction season.
The town bonded $500,000 in May 2018 to be used for the project, with the additional $150,330 to be used for other projects around town.
According to Maine Department of Transportation Project Manager Jerry Dostie, while the Maine Department of Transportation is contributing funds to the project, management of the bridge replacement project remains with the town of Kennebunk.
Town Engineer Chris Osterrieder is acting as the overseer.
“Construction began two weeks ago with the removal of surrounding trees, but they won’t be able to get the project into full swing until the summer,” said Dostie.
Construction for the project will begin in full force in June with the placement of a temporary bridge. To limit the impact on residents, the temporary structure will redirect traffic while the current bridge is replaced. In early September, traffic is anticipated to move back to the new bridge.
“We have a good contractor who has done work in the area, so we feel confident that they will do the work quickly and do it well,” said Osterrieder. “We know they will do their best to minimize the impact to the area.”
The target date for completion is mid-September.
Contact Staff Writer Abigail Worthing at news@kennebunkpost.com.
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