TROUBLED BRIDGES

For all those lawmakers who say the state is too deeply in debt and shouldn’t borrow more money for transportation projects, enter exhibit A: the Waldo-Hancock Bridge. Recent work on the span over the head of the Penobscot River has revealed that the two cables holding up the whole works are in much worse shape than first thought. The bridge is now off-limits to trucks over 12 tons. Even more disconcerting, state employees were stationed at either end of the bridge last weekend to listen for “cracking sounds” in the cables.

State officials are now hurrying to “fast track” construction of a new bridge, a process that normally takes six to 10 years, while also looking for alternatives, such as pontoon bridges and ferries so that school buses and emergency vehicles can cross the river.

It is easy to say that this whole mess shouldn’t have happened. But it appears state inspectors were truly caught off guard by the deterioration in the cables. Earlier tests showed they were in acceptable shape. It wasn’t until the cables were unwrapped as part of a six-year $25 million rehabilitation project that the extent of the deterioration was found.

Now that the problems have been found, the hard work of finding solutions begins. It is clear that the 72-year-old bridge must be replaced as quickly as possible. Even on the fast track, that will take a couple years so, in the meantime, the Department of Transportation is right to do everything it can to ensure that traffic can continue safely. Crews now are removing the sidewalk to lessen the weight on the span. It is also prudent to look for alternatives so that trucks don’t have to travel all the way to Bangor just to get from Prospect to Bucksport.

All of this will cost money – a lot more than the state originally anticipated allocating to the bridge project.

Not only is there the cost of the bridge replacement (which will be largely funded by the federal government) and the interim measures, many local officials are also advocating for state payments to private enterprises and towns that lose business or incur expenses because of the bridge restrictions.

A bond issue in November will not pay for the Waldo-Hancock Bridge repairs, but the money could be used to continue to chip away at the long list of road and bridge projects. Eight years ago, the state identified more than $420 million worth of work that needed to be done on bridges statewide. That amount has been cut in half, but much work remains to be done as the state has a dozen bridges on a list of “extraordinary” bridges in need of major work.

As the Waldo-Hancock Bridge points out, it is prudent to not wait until the last minute to assess a bridge’s condition and then rush to repair or replace it.

Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement at the end of the legislative session as to what should be in a bond issue that is presented to the voters this fall. That means money for transportation – as well as education and environmental projects, two LifeFlight helicopters, libraries and the arts – is currently in limbo. Lawmakers are arguing over $10 million; Democrats pushed for a $93 million package, Republicans want to hold it to $83 million. One bridge shows that it costs more to wait to fix problems than to catch and correct them early on. With this in mind, state legislators should quickly agree on a bond package by mid-August so that it can appear on the November ballot.

And, if the warnings about the Waldo-Hancock Bridge don’t make you nervous, experts warn that the Deer Isle-Stonington span is in even worse shape.