The Maine Department of Transportation said it will install a more durable, longer-term temporary bridge over the existing dike that carries Route 1 over the Middle River in Machias.
The new temporary bridge will be designed to last 15 to 20 years, Maine DOT said Tuesday. That will allow for more time to come up with a more permanent solution to replace the existing structure, which has been quickly deteriorating.
DOT said the decision was made after the Federal Highway Administration collected feedback from federal fisheries regulators and told state officials that a permanent replacement would take years of environmental permitting and analysis to complete.
The project has been controversial at times and has taken a few twists and turns over the years. The so-called dike bridge is equipped with culverts and valves that block tidal flow and fish migrations into the river. As it has deteriorated, salmon advocates and federal regulators had hoped to see it replaced by a bridge. Others want the dike to be rebuilt instead.
The state had installed a temporary bridge on top of the dike to accommodate the Route 1 traffic, but it was never intended to last for long.
"We understand residents and Route 1 travelers in Machias and Marshfield are frustrated with how long this project is taking, and we share that frustration," Maine DOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note, said Tuesday in a statement. "This project has raised unanticipated regulatory issues, resulting in much more permitting process and time than expected."
"MaineDOT's core mission is to ensure safe and reliable transportation," Van Note added. "To achieve that in this case, we need to construct a more durable temporary bridge, pause the federal environmental review process, and work with the towns as developments unfold. This work includes a local effort to plan for resiliency."
DOT said the new temporary bridge will cost around $2 million and will be paid for with state funds. It will be designed in a way so that it doesn't require federal permits or review. The new structure should be complete sometime in 2025.
