CHESTERVILLE — Replacement of the Dutch Gap Road bridge over the Little Norridgewock Stream is expected to begin next summer at an estimated cost of $480,000 to the federal government, a state official said Wednesday night.

Addressing residents at a public information meeting, Joseph Stilwell, Maine Department of Transportation project manager and engineer, said an inspection April 19, 2016, showed moderate to heavy rusting of both culverts.

The bridge is about 1.5 miles from the Town Office and Fire Station. It was built in 1949 with two 14-foot diameter galvanized steel plate pipes that sit side by side with a three- or four-foot gap between them filled with soil. 

The bridge is 24 feet wide and daily traffic over it averages 905 vehicles. The speed limit is 40 miles per hour.

MDOT employee Joel Kittredge said the meeting was to hear about drainage, traffic issues and other information those working on the project may not know. 

Chesterville resident and abutter Richard Whitehouse said trucks loaded with gravel from several nearby pits cross the bridge daily.

Town Road Foreman Mike Cote said on average, 35 to 40 loaded wood trucks also use the bridge daily.

“Heavy trucks can severely damage or rupture the culverts. It’s important to know that. It’s very important information,” Stilwell said.

The project timeline calls for a preliminary design report in September, a public meeting in Chesterville in October, advertising in February 2018 and construction no sooner than next summer.

“Little Norridgewock Stream drains into the Sandy River, which is an Atlantic salmon habitat,” Stilwell said. The bridge design may be altered and costs may be higher because of the salmon, he said.

Stilwell said a 2012 inspection showed a hole in one of the pipes. A visit in August 2016, showed very low water flow, while one last month showed significantly higher flow.

“The amount of water can change drastically throughout the year,” Stilwell said.

Resident Roberta Richardson said the stream has gradually been changing course.

“I’ve lost about two acres of my property,” she said. “The water wipes it out each spring.”

Stilwell said trees in the river and stream banks that aren’t in great shape create issues for the bridge.

“The weather service is predicting we could have a really strong event. There could be hurricanes coming up the East Coast this year,” he said.

For more information contact Stilwell at 207-215-3643 or Kittredge at 207-624-3550.

pharnden@sunmediagroup.net

Joseph Stilwell of the Maine Department of Transportation shows a picture of the Dutch Gap Road bridge in Chesterville at an informational meeting Wednesday night. The bridge is scheduled for replacement next summer.