SOUTHPORT, ME — VHB won the Grand Conceptor Award for the Southport Swing Bridge project at the American Council of Engineering Companies of Maine’s (ACEC of Maine) Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA). The Grand Conceptor Award is the highest prize for the state’s EEA competition, awarded to just one project. VHB project team members Robert Blunt and Carl Ayers were among those in attendance to receive the award.
VHB was the structural engineer and prime consultant on this Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) project, supported by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (mechanical engineer), Total Control Systems (electrical engineer), GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. (geotechnical engineer), and Substructure (hydrographic surveyor). The bridge rehabilitation was constructed by Cianbro Corporation.
Located in Southport and Boothbay Harbor, Maine, the Southport Swing Bridge project restored vitality to a historic landmark that is integral to local industry and a crucial link to the mainland for Southport Island residents. Originally constructed in 1939, the Southport Swing Bridge is one of the few remaining historic swing bridges still in operation in New England, but years of wear and aging mechanical and electrical systems had diminished the bridge’s functionality, causing public concern. VHB and the project team delivered a context-sensitive, cost-effective solution to rehabilitate the bridge that addressed ongoing maintenance challenges while preserving the bridge’s truss and timber-framed aesthetic.
The success of the rehabilitation relied on close, cross-disciplinary collaboration to create a fully integrated design addressing the bridge’s intricate and interdependent mechanical, electrical, and structural systems. The team leveraged an innovative contractor input during design process, advanced reality capture and 3D modeling technologies, skilled in-water craftsmanship to restore the historic truss and timber-framed fender system, and extensive coordination with the community to meet MaineDOT’s compressed schedule and minimize impacts on marine and roadway traffic.
Today, the Southport Swing Bridge features significantly enhanced swing functionality, improved reliability, and the ability to support all Maine legal loads, strengthening economic opportunity and reducing truck emissions. With reduced long-term maintenance needs, the bridge offers sustainability and cost benefits for the client. Fully restored, future-ready, and still exuding historic coastal charm, the bridge is now prepared to serve the community and support the regional economy for decades to come.
