For More Information, Please Contact:
Jim Wentworth, MaineDOT Bureau of project Development, 624-3414
Mark Latti, MaineDOT Office of Communications, 624-3030

Veranda Street Bridge Limited to Vehicles under 15 tons

The Veranda Street Bridge in Portland is now posted with a weight limit of 15 tons. The 78-year old bridge was posted due to structural deterioration, a condition that MaineDOT was monitoring.

The 15-ton weight limit allows for vehicles such as passenger cars, pickups and SUVs to cross the bridge, but prohibits vehicles that weight over 15 tons from using the bridge. This bridge must be replaced before it is opened to all traffic again.

A public hearing to discuss the bridge replacement project is rescheduled for Tuesday, March 4 at 6:00 p.m. at the State of Maine room in Portland City Hall. An earlier meeting was scheduled but was postponed due to a winter storm.

MaineDOT plans to advertise the new Veranda Street bridge project for bids this November, and construction is slated to begin during 2009. MaineDOT engineers are also working with utility companies to move the timetable for this project forward. Talks are currently ongoing to re-position a utilities pipeline on the bridge. These utilities must be moved to another permanent above-ground structure or underground before construction on the new bridge begins.

The Veranda Street Bridge, built in 1930, is a through-girder steel bridge that spans the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Rail Line. The plans are to build a steel arch bridge in its place.