The aging, controversial Frank J. Wood Bridge connecting Brunswick and Topsham will be inspected again next Wednesday.
The bridge is on a six-month inspection cycle instead of the usual 24 due to its poor condition and risk of collapse, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.
The steel truss bridge was built in 1932 to carry Route 201 traffic over the Androscoggin River. The department found it structurally unsound in 2017, and a 2021 inspection revealed cracking, rust and corrosion. It has been closed to traffic weighing more than 10 tons since that autumn.
Construction of a replacement bridge began last year after an extended legal battle led by citizen group Friends of the Frank J. Wood Bridge, which cites the bridge’s historic character as a reason to keep it. The estimated cost to build a new bridge has jumped from $13 million to $50 million since 2017 due to the delay.
It may open by 2026 and is expected to last 100 years. The new bridge features four-span steel plate girder and concrete construction, with wider shoulders and bump outs for pedestrians.
Wednesday’s inspection, which could be moved to Thursday or Friday if the weather turns, means only southbound traffic will be able to cross the bridge from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Northbound traffic will be directed to the Topsham bypass/Route 196.