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Maine DOT plan for Fort Street Bridge will close river crossing for months, Caribou officials warn
Summary
City officials told the Caribou City Council the Maine DOT9s preferred plan to repair the Fort Street Bridge would involve a roughly 27-month project and up to eight months of full closure, prompting concerns about emergency access, school buses and winter operations.
City officials in Caribou told the council on Sept. 15 that the Maine Department of Transportation9s preferred plan to repair the Fort Street Bridge would require long closures that will significantly affect travel, emergency response and municipal operations.
City Manager Penny Thompson summarized a Sept. 4 stakeholder meeting in which DOT presented four options and said the recommended option would cost about $22.1 million, last 27 months and include a 16-month traffic impact window made up of an 8-month total closure and eight months of alternating closures. Thompson said the primary work is a deck replacement with truss repairs and strengthening.
Councilors and department heads raised multiple operational concerns at the Sept. 15 meeting: Chief LaJoie and Public Works Director Chris Perkins emphasized the difficulty of routing emergency vehicles, school buses and plow trucks during extended closures and the likely increased travel distance and fuel costs for municipal services. Thompson said staff will post DOT materials on the city website and will press DOT for a public meeting and for clarification on mitigation, potential compensation for increased municipal costs and alternative traffic plans.
Councilors discussed likely detour options, observing that certain local roads (for example, Grimes Road) are not designed for sustained heavy traffic. Perkins and councilors suggested DOT should consider wear-and-tear compensation for roads used as detours. Thompson said staff had already asked DOT for a briefing sheet and noted DOT would publish public materials prior to a public meeting.
The DOT plan9s schedule and costs prompted councilors to identify short-term items for staff: identify and publicize stakeholder meeting materials when available, request DOT consider mitigation (including potential funding for increased municipal operating costs), and plan for the fiscal impacts to the 2027 municipal budget. "It's going to be very difficult for people who have emergencies," Thompson said, noting the city will press DOT on mitigation and share updates on the city project web page.
No formal council vote was required; the council directed staff to continue coordination with DOT, post meeting materials for public access and pursue mitigation and compensation discussions.
