Brace Yourself Bangor/Brewer: Bridge Work Begins On Monday June 8th

We've all known this day would come for some time now. And if you thought the work to the water lines up Wilson Street made your commute from Bangor to Brewer and back a hassle last year, the upcoming repair of the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge will be loads of fun for months to come!

Read More: What To Expect During Joshua Chamberlain Bridge Repairs

The best way to attack this problem; plan ahead and embrace the suck.

The work has to be done to make the bridge safer, and complaining about it won't change the fact that from next week until at least October and possibly beyond, the way you travel in and out of Brewer might change significantly until the fall.

According to the Maine DOT, the repairs to the bridge will run the entire length of the bridge from the end of Union Street in Bangor to the beginning of Wilson Street. It will be done in phases, with the first things they tackle being the replacement of the surface and concrete barriers.

Eventually, they'll replace several bridge joints and work on fixing a handful of the piers and abutments.
Read More: Brewer, Maine, End of the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge is Wider

To deal with the surface, they'll be closing the traffic down to one lane only, and it will be heading in one direction only, from Brewer into Bangor. So if you're looking to get into Brewer, it shouldn't impact you too much.
"Westbound only (Brewer to Bangor) vehicular traffic will be allowed on the bridge. Ramp B from Summer Street leading onto the bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic."

If you're looking to get from Brewer to Bangor, you'll have to pick another route over one of the other two bridges.

One sidewalk will also be available for pedestrians, so you'll still be able to walk and jog across the bridge as you like.

The total completion of the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge project is slated for 2028.

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Now what makes this particularly interesting is that before it's finished, in the spring of 2027, there are plans to start working on one of the other bridges in and out of Brewer, the Penobscot Bridge.

Again, if you stay informed and accept that this is how it has to be to make it all better, hopefully you won't get too riled up about what's likely going to be a bit of a hiccup in the normal traffic pattern we've all become accustomed to.

Read More: Cribstone Harpswell, Maine, Bridge Is the Only One of Its Kind

The overall cost for the work on the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge is $2,550,000.