PROSPECT – An observation deck for the proposed $65 million Waldo-Hancock Bridge, as well as the blasting associated with construction, has prompted an advocacy group for the nearby historic Fort Knox to share its concerns this week with the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard is responsible for issuing a permit for construction of the bridge over the Penobscot River and had solicited comments.

The letter from Friends of Fort Knox, signed by executive director Leon Seymour, was filed just before the comment deadline. It spurred rumors that the Coast Guard had ordered a halt to work on the bridge, but state transportation officials said Thursday that no work had been halted.

The Coast Guard, in an e-mail letter dated Thursday, approved the Maine Department of Transportation’s plans for the project. Although the Friends’ last-minute letter did raise some questions with Coast Guard officials, it did not disrupt the work on the new bridge, most of which has involved site-clearing activities.

“There was no disruption of work,” Deputy Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note said Thursday.

Van Note said crews are scheduled to begin work sometime next week on the concrete foundations that will support the bridge towers.

The department plans to construct the state’s first cable-stayed bridge, which will require two 420-foot towers, one on each side of the Penobscot River. The department has proposed including an elevator inside the tower located in Prospect that would carry visitors to an observation deck at the top.

DOT officials have indicated that the most logical entry to the observation tower would be through Fort Knox.

The Friends’ letter voiced some concerns that had been raised by members during meetings of the public advisory group for the bridge project and during the more recent design workshops, at which the observation deck was proposed.

The letter cited a number of concerns, ranging from the potential effect blasting could have on the masonry joints in the 150-year-old fort to the negative effect the construction could have on visitation to the fort.

Van Note indicated that while the group has a valid concern about the blasting, the department always conducts a pre-blast survey prior to any blasting project.

“We do blasting next to all types of facilities, some more delicate than a granite fort in some ways,” he said. “But we understand the concerns of the fort and certainly will work with them on this.”

In fact, Seymour indicated that he will meet next week to discuss the blasting with DOT project manager Tom Doe and the blasting contractor.

Much of the letter focused on the group’s concerns about the impact of the proposed observation deck could have both physically and financially on the fort, specifically the demands that might be made on the Bureau of Public Lands resource.

“We are seriously concerned about the Bureau’s ability to operate and maintain additional ground, facilities and visitors associated with the proposed tower with their limited staff and fiscal resources,” the letter said.

The letter asks where responsibility would lie for the new attraction, including who would operate the elevator, who would assume liability for operation and the costs of maintenance and upkeep of the elevator and observation deck, and who would do a thorough economic analysis of the tower-elevator operations.

The Friends also questioned whether DOT would fund necessary infrastructure work at the fort in connection with the increased visitation, including additional parking, restrooms, transportation from the fort to the tower, water supply and landscaping.

In closing, Seymour wrote that the Friends group does not oppose DOT’s proposal for the bridge with the observation deck.

“However,” he said, “because of the issues we have listed above, we must state that we cannot support the project until those issues have been resolved or at least addressed by the responsible parties.”

The letter was “very helpful,” Van Note said, and set out a list of issues that can be addressed by a new planning group DOT is putting together that will look at the operation of the observation deck, as well as other economic development issues for the surrounding area.

The observation tower concept creates “all kinds of opportunities” for Bucksport and the surrounding area, he said, adding that the department hopes to create a master plan for the next five to 10 years on how those opportunities might be linked together.

The current schedule calls for the foundation work on both sides of the river to be completed by May. The schedule for construction of the towers has not yet been set, but DOT still hopes to have the bridge completed and open to traffic by July 2005.