On Aug. 2, Barters Island residents finally got their bridge back. The $8.2 million Maine Department of Transportation project, which began in March 2019 and was constructed by Reed & Reed of Woolwich, officially opened as longtime bridge tender and local resident Stanley Hodgdon was driven across the bridge in a Mercury Cougar XR-7 by Roland McLellan following a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The new mechanical bridge replaces one built in 1931. The former bridge was 20 feet long with a timber deck and weighed 100,000 pounds. The new bridge involves a concrete surface and weighs approximately 615,000 pounds, according to MDOT. The bridge is 27 feet long with a new swing span and center spear pier. 

Construction began in June 2019 with an original plan calling for  the bridge to be closed from Nov. 1, 2019 to May 30, 2020. A temporary bridge was planned  for one-way traffic while construction ensued. But in March 2020, the coronavirus struck resulting in several project delays.

The ceremony also featured comments from U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ office, MDOT Project Manager Glenn Philbrook and Reed & Reed Project Manager John Phillips. Michelle Michaud read a letter sent by Collins, a member of the Senate’s Transportation Appropriations subcommittee. “Congratulations to Barters Island for their new bridge. Projects like this are essential to transportation safety and for the flow of goods and services. I’m excited to join the Boothbay community in welcoming this fully automated bridge,” read Michaud.

Phillips and Philbrook thanked the public for its patience during the extended construction period. Phillips reported Reed & Reed often construct bridges 1,000 feet long and over 100 feet above ground. Despite the new Barters Island Bridge’s smaller dimensions, he described the local project as a complex task. “It’s only a few feet long and few feet above ground, but it has dozens of mechanical components measured to a thousandth of an inch. And it’s offset by seven feet more on the channel side so it’s counterbalanced and specifically positioned,” Phillips said.

The ceremony included a re-creation of how pre-teens from the 1960s and 1970s aided bridge tenders in manually opening the bridge. Barters Island resident and master of ceremonies Rob Wheeler gave three quick blasts of a horn simulating a boat needing to pass though the bridge opening. So about 10 former kids sprang into action mimicking how the bridge was manually opened.

“We heard the horn and we came on our bicycles or running to unlock the bridge,” said Dorinda Hodgdon Howe. “We received a nickel from Mr. Chamerlain and did this three or four times a day. We loved it because we could buy candy, ice cream or soda pop at the store.”

Among others performing the reenactment were Marsha  Gamage, Becky (Roberts) Traquair, Corinne Hodgdon Bryer, Cindy Hodgdon Smalley, Sarah “Sally” Roberts Laurie and Tracey Hodgdon-Hyson.

This article has been updated from its original posting.