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MDOT engineers outline Oceanville Bridge options; town told granite facing could cost $100,000 share
Summary
MDOT engineers told the Stonington Selectmen the Oceanville Bridge’s northern piling is compromised and that replacing granite facing could cost about $200,000, with a municipal agreement option placing roughly half the cost (about $100,000) on the town; the board requested more community feedback and additional design options.
Maine Department of Transportation engineers briefed the Stonington Selectmen on potential repair and replacement options for the Oceanville Bridge and said the structure’s northern piling is too compromised to rely on current foundations.
An MDOT engineer described subsurface conditions (glacial till rather than bedrock beneath the northern piling) and said the cost to reinstall or replicate the historic granite facing could be around $200,000. MDOT offered a municipal agreement option under which the town could pay approximately half the additional aesthetic cost for granite facing, leaving the town with near‑term capital obligations of about $100,000 if it chose that option.
Members of the public and Selectmen queried whether less costly alternatives — including a one‑lane structure with traffic signals or a simplified facing — could sufficiently address safety and community aesthetics. The engineers said they would continue outreach with nearby property owners and confirmed they would meet on site and return with further detail.
Selectmen thanked MDOT for the briefing and asked staff to solicit additional community feedback before any municipal cost‑share decision. The board also discussed potential municipal agreements and noted the desire to weigh historic aesthetics against cost and long‑term structural needs.
No formal municipal funding decision or municipal agreement was approved in the meetings summarized; the board expects follow‑up briefings and public input prior to any vote.
