This project will replace the bridge that provides a critical connection between Madawaska, Maine, and Edmundston, New Brunswick. The current structure is 100 years old and approaching the end of its useful life. The bridge deck and superstructure are in poor condition and show signs of advanced deterioration. Since October 2017, the International Bridge has been posted at a five-ton weight limit, creating a significant detour. Furthermore, the existing building and site of the land port of entry on the U.S. side are substandard and need to be replaced.
The new bridge will be constructed on a new alignment; it will cross the St. John River at an approximately 45-degree angle and be located approximately 1,400 feet upstream from the existing bridge. Because of this new alignment, the new structure will be nearly twice the length of the existing one. The new bridge will feature wider travel lanes and added shoulders on both sides. There will also be a raised sidewalk on the downstream side of the new bridge. The new bridge will be constructed using steel girders supported on concrete substructures and is designed to last 100 years.
MaineDOT advertised this contract for bids on December 23 and opened bids on February 24. Three contractors (two in Maine and one in New Brunswick) had been pre-qualified to bid on this project. The two Maine companies submitted bids; the New Brunswick company did not. The low bidder was Reed & Reed with a bid of $86,532,251. This bid results in a total project cost of approximately $10.9 million more than previous estimates. This is a large, complex, multi-year project, and both MaineDOT and NBDTI have agreed to move forward with awarding this critical contract.
MaineDOT released the latest edition of its three-year Work Plan in January. Since the development of this year's Work Plan, the U.S. Department of Transportation has authorized the amount for the Highway Infrastructure Program (HIP) at a level $15.7 million higher than MaineDOT's original projections. This funding will be used to cover the cost overages on the International Bridge Project.
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The total project cost will be $97.5 million. In 2019, this project received a $36-million Infrastructure for Rebuilding American (INFRA) grant from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. The remaining costs are being shared by MaineDOT and NBDTI.
"The year-long challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have laid bare the importance of the connections between Maine and Canada," said MaineDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note. "We are eager to move forward with this project to greatly improve one of these vital connection points. This new bridge will improve safety and support economic activities on both sides of the international border."
"This international bridge is more than just a piece of infrastructure; it is an important link that brings communities and countries together," said New Brunswicks Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Jill Green. "This project will contribute to our priority of energizing the private sector by facilitating the movement of people and goods. This will allow our businesses to remain competitive while fostering economic growth in the region."
"Reed & Reed is pleased to be rebuilding this critical link between families, communities, and nations," said Jackson Parker, CEO of Reed & Reed, Inc. "We will be looking to hire locally as much as possible. We have a long history of building bridges for MaineDOT, beginning in 1928 with a $1,676 contract to replace a bridge in Hermon. We are excited to begin work on this project."
Construction work is expected to begin later this month. MaineDOT anticipates opening the new bridge to traffic by the end of 2023. Demolition of the old bridge is scheduled to begin once traffic is moved onto the new bridge. The estimated final completion date of this project is June 30, 2025.
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Design and construction of the new land port of entry on the U.S. side is a separate project being administered by the U.S. General Services Administration.
