From the Portsmouth Herald. Click here to read the full story.
By Deborah McDermott
dmcdermott@seacoastonline.com
NH_Portsmouth_Herald
The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge replacement is “a very complex project” that has already logged 50,000 man-hours since the inception of work last fall. But the project is on time and moving along smoothly. And in just the next week alone, work on the major parts of the bridge is set to begin in Maine, Pittsfield, Mass., and Alabama.
“It’s all been very rewarding to see the project coming together so well,” said Ron Taylor, Maine Department of Transportation resident engineer for the project. “It’s a very challenging site, with the tides and working over the water. And it’s the biggest project I’ve ever been on. But I’ve been enjoying it.”
The new $170 million Long Bridge replacement project is a joint venture between Maine and New Hampshire, replacing the existing bridge, the No. 1 red-listed bridge in the Granite State. General contractor Cianbro Construction agreed to build it for $158 million, with the remaining $11.5 million for engineering and design costs. A $25 million federal grant will pay for a rail line that is used to ship nuclear material from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.