News Release for May 3, 2008
For More Information:
Mark Latti, MaineDOT Office of Communications, 592-1339

International Bridge Reopens, MaineDOT road crews busy reparing flood Damage

An international team of engineers from MaineDOT and New Brunswick completed a thorough examination of the International Bridge in Fort Kent today, and opened the bridge for traffic at 4:00 this afternoon.“We had to remove a tremendous amount of debris from the bridge and its supports, but there was no structural damage to the bridge caused by the flood,” said MaineDOT Chief Bridge Maintenance Engineer John Buxton.

The inspection of the International Bridge began at 8:00 a.m. this morning, and concluded at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon. MaineDOT engineers used an underbridge crane to examine the bridge piers, bearings and understory.“There were no bent beams, the bridge was plumb and straight, and the bearings that connect the bridge to its support piers were still intact,” said Buxton.MaineDOT engineers examined the entire length of the steel truss bridge that was built in 1929.

After the inspection of the International Bridge, MaineDOT engineers turned their attention to the Main Street Bridge, a steel girder bridge that spans the Fish River in Fort Kent. This bridge also bore the brunt of the flood, with the flood waters pushing against the girders.“There was no damage that would impact the function of the bridge,” Buxton said of the Main Street Bridge.

Both bridges were opened with no weight or traffic restrictions at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon.“We received a tremendous amount of help from our Canadian neighbors, the National Guard and the town of Fort Kent. We couldn’t have reopened this bridge as quickly without their help,” said Buxton.MaineDOT road maintenance crews were also busy, repairing sections of Route 11 between Patten and Moro Plantation as well as Route 161 between Allagash and Fort Kent. Route 11 remains closed due to the Moro Plantation Bridge that was damaged by the flood, but Route 161 was reopened earlier today after MaineDOT crews were able to repair enough damage to make the road passable.“Route 161 reopened with lane restrictions. We place temporary traffic signals on some stretches where there is only one lane of traffic,” said MaineDOT’s Bob Watson, Region 5 Manager. “Our biggest concern is making Route 161 safe, as there were people traveling it even before we opened it.”

Crews from MaineDOT Region 4 in Bangor hauled over 180 cubic yards of rip rap to help repair sections of the roads in Aroostook County. Yesterday, there were 15 MaineDOT crews repairing roads, and four crews today were patching where the waters receded.“We have been moving staff from areas that weren’t affected by the flood into areas that were hard hit to help out,” said Watson. “As the waters recede, we find more washouts that we need to repair.”

###