The Maine Department of Transportation has banned all commercial trucks from crossing the Frank J. Wood Bridge, which connects Brunswick and Topsham, amid concerns about how quickly the 90-year-old bridge is deteriorating.
This is leading to questions about how safe it is for anyone to cross it right now.
Teresa asked the CBS13 I-Team:
"Why did the people in charge of the bridge's safety let it get this bad? I have to go over the bridge several times a day with my family and we are all very nervous about it. Is the bridge going to collapse on us?"
That's a concern the CBS13 I-Team took directly to MaineDOT's Chief Engineer Joyce Taylor who's in charge of inspecting the bridge.
"Is there a fear that the bridge could collapse at some point?" CBS13 I-Team reporter Dan Lampariello asked.
“What's more likely to happen with one of these trucks going over it is they could punch a hole in the deck and basically end up sinking down one or two feet and getting stuck in the deck,” Taylor replied.
While the MaineDOT says a collapse isn't imminent, the current bridge structure is deteriorating quickly hence the new weight restrictions.
A recent inspection report highlighted severe rust, corrosion, and cracks in some of the beams under the bridge.
"How does deterioration for a bridge like this get to this point. Where we have to take such drastic steps like posting weight restrictions?" Lampariello asked.
“You know, they do come to a life, they do have an end of life and we were hoping to have a bridge in place so we didn't get this far down the road. That's typically what we try to do is predict at what point will we have to post,” Taylor replied.
As for when the bridge could be repaired or replaced, that's a decision still in the hands of the courts.
A group looking to have the bridge rehabbed because of its historical value is in the middle of that fight.
The MaineDOT argues it would be cheaper to fully replace the bridge.
If you have something you want to ask the CBS13 I-Team, send it to tips@wgme.com.