Sarah Mildred Long Bridge Float-In Scheduled to Begin October 17th

Kittery - As the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge replacement project nears completion, crews are scheduled to install the new bridge's lift span, which connects Kittery, Maine and Portsmouth, New Hampshire across the Piscataqua River. The current schedule, which is subject to change, is as follows: Tuesday, October 17th, at 6:00 a.m.: The navigational channel will be closed to all vessels - from kayaks to tankers - within a 300 yard radius of the bridge. Barges will be in position to float-in the center lift span. Wednesday, October 18th: Preparation work will be performed on the lift span as the barge moves into the final position. From 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. the rising tide will lift the span into position over the bearings, and at 11:00 a.m. the outgoing tide will lower the lift span onto the bearings. Once resting on the bearings, the barge will be pushed away from the area to the state pier. All work is currently scheduled to be completed during the navigational channel closure ending at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, October 27th. If the final preparation work is not completed to allow for a safe float-in, the float -in will be suspended until the next tide cycle. The SML replacement project is a joint venture between the Maine and New Hampshire Departments of Transportation, with MaineDOT serving as the lead. This project is part of a "Three Bridge Agreement" between Maine and New Hampshire to address their jointly owned bridges spanning the Piscataqua River. The other two bridges are the "high level" bridge that carries I-95, and the Memorial Bridge that links the communities of Portsmouth and Kittery, and offers vehicle, bike and pedestrian travel. The design process began in 2013 and construction started in January of 2015. The new Sarah Mildred Long Bridge is expected to open to traffic in November, 2017. The project is scheduled to be completed by June 1st, 2018.