Noted Naples bridge in need of repairs

NAPLES – One of Maine’s most familiar bridges is in for an overhaul.

The Transportation Department is getting ready to start repairs on the Naples Bay Bridge so it can avoid posting weight restrictions on the span, which crosses the Chutes River on Route 302 in Naples.

The 54-year-old, movable, swing-span bridge is showing signs of advanced deterioration on some of its structural steel supports, according to the DOT. Those beams need to be replaced. The repairs should make it possible for the bridge to operate without weight restrictions for one to three years.

The state is preparing to begin repairs in late November and the work is expected to take four weeks. That will require the bridge to be limited to one lane of traffic during daylight hours. It’ll be opened to two lanes of traffic at all other times.