Caribou council presses DOT for comment totals and engineering rationale on Route 1 bridge plan

City councilors at the Jan. 12 meeting pressed for more transparency and technical justification from the Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) about a proposed bridge project on the Route 1 corridor, which has prompted community concern.

Councilors noted the DOT had received more comments than expected on the project and urged staff to request the full tally and whether commenters provided contact information so the council could assess public sentiment. City staff said they had asked DOT for the information and would seek a timeline for delivery so the council could review aggregated feedback before deciding whether to adopt a resolution stating the council’s position.

Several councilors raised engineering questions about DOT’s construction approach, asking why the agency ruled out phased construction that would maintain one lane of traffic or why alternatives — such as strengthening trusses or building a new bridge alongside the existing structure — were not presented. One councilor asked directly for "the why" behind the DOT’s design choices and said, "I would like to know for sure if that's true" regarding claims about funding constraints and the agency's rationale.

Economic and community impacts were a central concern: councilors warned that lengthy detours through Fort Fairfield or Presque Isle could harm downtown businesses and local farmers who rely on Route 1 traffic. Councilors also noted the bridge’s historical value, saying veterans and community events use the structure and that preserving the old bridge while providing a new crossing could be explored as a compromise.

What’s next: The mayor asked staff to obtain DOT’s comment counts, contact-information availability, the agency’s timeline for responding to local input, and an explanation of why certain construction options were excluded. The council deferred action on a formal statement until it has that information and additional engineering justification from DOT.

Source: Caribou City Council meeting, Jan. 12, 2026.