Hampden council weighs three options for failing Manning Mill Road bridge

The Hampden Town Council heard a presentation on the deteriorating Manning Mill Road bridge, which has lost significant steel and now faces three options: two bridge replacements or a new gravel connector road to Emerson Mill Road. Councilors took no action on a shoreland zoning amendment request, discussed an EMS transport plan, and reviewed state general assistance maximums. The meeting adjourned with no votes taken.

Key points

• A senior bridge engineer said the Manning Mill Road bridge has a 2-foot by 6-inch area of 100% section loss in its steel girders, ruling out a previously planned deck replacement.
• Three options were presented: an Acro prefabricated bridge at about $1.5 million, a steel girder with open-grid deck at about $1.4 million, or a roughly 4,700-foot gravel connector road to Emerson Mill Road at about $1.3 million.
• The engineer said he would lean toward the steel girder option because it carries less risk, and noted both bridge options would cut off access to residents north of the crossing during construction.
• Public Works Director John said the town could supply pipe for a connector road and estimated paving it would cost about $262,000 for roughly 3,050 tons of asphalt.
• Residents asked about weight capacity, wetlands, and whether a temporary road could allow construction from both sides; the engineer said it would simplify construction but not reduce substructure risk.
• The council took no action on Jim Kaiser's request to amend the shoreland zoning ordinance, with councilors calling it a compliance matter and noting Kaiser was not present.

Next steps

• The EMS transport plan resolution will go to the next full council meeting for a vote.
• The general assistance appendices and recovery residence maximums will go to a public hearing and council vote on October 5.
• The general assistance administrator will attend the next Monday meeting to answer council questions.
• The engineer will reach out to Maine DOT's Ron Taylor about inspection reports requested by a resident.

Read the full transcript