AUGUSTA — If Memorial Bridge is unable to support three or four travel lanes, engineers are prepared to build a new bridge down river to accommodate the expected surge in Augusta's traffic over the next 50 years.
At a meeting Wednesday at City Center, state Department of Transportation planners said four options are under consideration to address the frequent bottlenecks that frustrate motorists crossing the Kennebec River. They are to renew the deck and widen Memorial Bridge to three or four lanes, or to build either: l A 2,070-foot-long bridge 80 feet south of the existing bridge l An 1,600-foot-long bridge 200 feet south of the existing bridge l An 1,800-foot-long bridge about 800 feet south of the existing bridge Clifton Curtis of the DOT said an analysis will determine whether the supporting structure under Memorial Bridge can accept a roadway that would be substantially wider to handle three or four lanes. Lighter weight decking technologies could be used, he said. The plans are preliminary and the DOT has not yet provided an estimate of the construction costs. A three-lane bridge would allow one east and one west lane at all times, and — depending on traffic flows and time of day —a third lane would be open for either east or west traffic. Joseph Lowry, an engineering consultant retained by the DOT, said a new four-lane bridge could be constructed 80 feet down river of Memorial Bridge. That structure would be roughly the same length and height as the existing bridge. "We would have a connector to Stone Street. Twenty-five percent of the traffic (heading east over the bridge) wants to go to Stone Street," Lowry said. An east side exit and entrance would be in the area of Cony Circle, and the west side access would be at Memorial Circle. If that bridge is built, DOT would attempt to acquire six commercial and 10 residential properties on the east and west sides so they can be demolished. A four-lane bridge built 200 feet south of Memorial Bridge would offer a connector road to Arsenal Street on the east side, just south of MaineGeneral Medical Center, and would have access to Cony Circle and Stone Street. On the west side of the river, the road to the bridge would begin at Memorial Circle. The bridge would be lower than Memorial Bridge, and 11 commercial and 18 residential properties would need to be acquired by the DOT. "I have some real concerns about all the homes that we'd take on Gage Street. We want people to stay in the city," said Councilor Donna Doore, a member of the DOT's Public Advisory Committee. City Manager William Bridgeo said he wants the state to assist residents who will be displaced if a new bridge is built. "Part of the challenge is to think about creative solutions. I don't think it's about demolishing," he said. Bridgeo suggested that the state could provide money to construct a rental housing complex in the area. Although the last part of the meeting focused on the bridges that could be built closest to Memorial Bridge, the third option, a bridge slightly farther south, remains a viable alternative. "At this time we're treating them as equals," said Ray Faucher, a senior planner at the DOT. A new bridge also will be built by the department over the river north of downtown, and work has already started on that span. A widened Memorial Bridge or a new downtown bridge is expected to handle mostly local traffic, including area residents going to and from work. In another matter discussed at the meeting, Charles Hays, the chief operating officer at MaineGeneral Medical Center, said work on Memorial Bridge or on a new bridge will affect the hospital. The medical center sits in the shadow of the existing bridge. Hays said emergency medical vehicles can get bogged down in heavy traffic. He also said there is little room to expand further to meet health care demands of the large baby boomer generation. With those space restrictions, along with the need for additional parking in the coming years, a new MaineGeneral hospital may be needed in another area, said Hays. "We're kind of weighing all those different options and the costs," he said. The committee's next meeting at City Center is on Jan. 8. DOT planners are also expected to meet separately with the City Council and Planning Board sometime after the holidays. Dan McGillvray — 621-5642 dmcgillvray@centralmaine.com
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