MaineDOT photo

The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) is currently replacing the Western Avenue bridge on U.S. Route 202 over Interstate 95 in Augusta, located at the intersection of Western Ave. and Whitten Road.

The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) is currently replacing the Western Avenue bridge on U.S. Route 202 over Interstate 95 in Augusta, located at the intersection of Western Ave. and Whitten Road.

The new bridge will be constructed on alignment, featuring a two-span steel girder structure with a concrete deck, supported by concrete substructures anchored into bedrock. This replacement will address the aging, structurally deficient four-span bridge that has served for 68 years and was nearing the end of its useful life. The new structure also will offer increased vertical clearance over I-95 to reduce the risk of over-height vehicle collisions. In addition, the project includes approximately 1,350 ft. of sidewalk construction and reconstruction along Western Avenue and Whitten Road, creating safer pedestrian access on both sides of these roads.

Subcontractors involved include The lead contractor of the project is Reed & Reed of Woolwich, Maine, with a contract value of $30 million. Subcontractors include Gendron & Gendron (Lewiston, Maine) for earthwork; Electric Light Co. (Neddick, Maine) for electrical work and traffic signals; Maine Drilling & Blasting (Milford, Maine) for bedrock drilling; Knowles Industrial Services Corporation (Gorham, Maine) for pressure grouting; Calderwood Engineering (Richmond, Maine) for detour design; and Northeast Paving (Waterford, Conn.) for paving.

MaineDOT has provided updates on the project's progress beginning in early 2024:

• Crews began structural earth excavation and bedrock removal at Abutment 1. A crane was mobilized, and forms for Abutment 1 were built in the laydown yard. Excavation continued at Abutment 2.

• Workers cleaned the ledge at Abutment 1 and continued excavation. Footing forms were installed with reinforcing steel, and excavation work also continued at Abutment 2.

• Construction focused on the bridge abutments. At Abutment 1, crews worked on clearing the ledge, earth excavation and installing footing forms and structural steel. Abutment 2 saw earth and rock excavation.

• Crews excavated structural rock and cleared the ledge for the Abutment 2 footing, installed footing forms, and poured concrete. Work also began on the temporary footings for the temporary bridge.

• Excavation to structural rock continued at Abutment 1, and footing forms were installed. Concrete was placed for Abutment 1, and forms for Abutment 2 were stripped.

• Work continued at both abutments, with structural rock excavation and ledge cleaning at Abutment 1. Concrete was placed in the north footing section of Abutment 1. Crews also worked on the temporary bridge, stripping forms at Abutment 2 and the south wingwall.

• Construction progressed at both abutments and the temporary bridge. Abutment 2 saw structural excavation and cleaning of the ledge at the north footing, while temporary structural support was installed. At Abutment 1, re-steel and forms were installed for the north stem and wingwall. Concrete was placed for the Abutment 1 expansion. At the temporary bridge, concrete was placed in the bridge beds, and traffic control devices were installed. Structural support continued at Abutment 2's northwest wing, and drainage work was completed on the Whitten Road Connector. On I-95 southbound, pavement markings were ground off, and lane shift striping was completed overnight.

Throughout February 2025, crews made significant progress, advancing work on the temporary bridge, existing bridge demolition, traffic control measures and precast bridge unit (PBU) construction.

Bridge work focused on installing the timber curb on the temporary bridge, placing concrete barriers and improving temporary pedestrian access. Crews also worked on installing new roadway striping and removing existing markings as part of the ongoing traffic realignment. Meanwhile, demolition of the existing bridge continued, with saw-cutting and slab removal progressing as scheduled.

Off site in Woolwich, crews continued work on the precast bridge units. Progress included assembling deck forms for the PBUs, placing the final two PBU units for Phase 1 and completing the curing process for three previously placed units. Work will continue in March, with crews focusing on the next phases of bridge construction, demolition, and traffic management to maintain project momentum.

"We've had to build temporary earth support cofferdams at both abutments, where the wings go under our detour bridge," said Dom Cyr, assistant project manager of Reed & Reed, which has handled most of the work, aside from earthwork, ledge removal, and electrical work. "Right now, we're focused on completing our four-span, 50-foot-wide detour bridge on the north side of the existing bridge. We've also started building Precast Bridge Units (PBUs) at our yard in Woolwich. This project has been accelerated. Once the detour bridge is operational, we have 11 months to demolish the existing bridge, finish the abutments, build a new pier, install the PBUs, pour closure concrete, complete paving, electrical work and approach work."

Cyr added that the designers (Stantec) had anticipated voids in the bedrock at one of the abutments. As a result, Maine Drilling & Blasting drilled approximately 40 holes in the bedrock, and Knowles Industrial pumped grout into the holes to fill the voids.

The construction equipment being used includes a Link-Belt LS138 crane; a Liebherr LTR1220 crawler crane; Caterpillar 349 and Case CX350 excavators; and a Dawson EMV450 excavator-mounted vibrator with a vibratory hammer for installing the cofferdam sheets.

The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2026. CEG

Today's top stories

Construction Begins on Manhattan's $10B Midtown Bus Terminal Transformation

NDDOT, Partners Officially Kick Off Construction Season

MHTC Selects Radmacher-Ideker JV for MoDOT's Third Improve I-70 Project

Baltimore's Morgan State University Begins Construction on New $337M Science Center

Premier Installs Door System at Farm-Rite Equipment

Chairman Walberg Visits AED Member Buck & Knobby Equipment Company

Work to Resume on Vt.'s First DDI in Colchester, Upgrades Planned for Essex County Courthouse

Carol Haddock Elected 2027 President of American Society of Civil Engineers