Maine DOT Investigating Llewellyn Estes Bridge Failure

Officials with the Maine DOT were on site in Old Town Friday following the partial collapse of the Llewellyn Estes Bridge.

Workers were in the process of pouring concrete on the bridge when it buckled in half, towards the middle.

Old Town Bridge Collapse, Milford Fire/Rescue via Facebook

A temporary bridge was constructed in 2024, which stands next to the bridge they were working on. The original bridge has been closed to vehicles for a couple of years, and the temporary bridge was carrying traffic across the river at the time, so no motorists were affected by the collapse, only construction workers working on the old bridge. We're told one person was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to the Maine DOT, they are working with all of the agencies involved in the bridge repair project, from its design and fabrication to the build itself, to determine what led to the bridge giving way Thursday afternoon.

"The Department is also coordinating with local, state, and federal agencies, including the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, to identify and mitigate any concerns regarding the status of the structure. At this time, no significant environmental impacts have been identified."

They say the safety of the workers and the motorists is of the utmost importance and priority.

"To ensure safety for the traveling public and for bridge workers, MaineDOT will conduct thorough inspections of the bridge spans and the temporary detour bridge currently carrying traffic."

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Plans for the Llewellen Estes Bridges bridge replacement began in 2022, with work beginning in 2024. Part of the project, which was bundled with plans to improve the Bennoch Road (Route 16) and College Avenue (Route 2A) intersections, was to replace the two-bridge system, so the temporary bridge was put into place so that work to the original bridge could be conducted without impacting traffic.

MDOT, along with Reed & Reed Contractors, led the project. Folks from the Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center at the University of Maine were also helping with the replacement process by using special first-of-their-kind continuity joints manufactured specifically for this project that would help with the installation of the long spans of composite bridge, longer than have been used before in similar projects. They installed those just a few months ago, in March.

The Maine DOT says personnel will remain on site as they collect information and review the situation to find out what to do next with regard to cleanup and a continuation of work. They are hoping to resolve the issue in a way that won't affect the current construction schedule.

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