Deer Isle bridge tests likely to cause delays

DEER ISLE – The state Department of Transportation will try again today to conduct load testing on the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge. The daylong test is likely to cause delays for drivers traveling across the bridge, according to DOT officials. Delays are expected to last for up to 10 minutes throughout the day.

The test requires good weather, and the department already has had to postpone tests twice this month due to bad weather. DOT has set Thursday as a rain date for the tests in the event of bad weather today. The test will measure the effects of a loaded truck on various portions of the bridge. In order to do that, DOT engineers said, they have to clear the bridge of other traffic so that only the test truck affects the bridge structure.