Maine to seek bids for new Brunswick-Topsham bridge after preservationists lose in court

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 5, 2022

The Maine Department of Transportation plans to seek bids to replace the aging bridge connecting Brunswick and Topsham this spring after an appeals court ruled in the agency’s favor that the bridge can be replaced. It could be the end of a long fight over whether to repair or replace the Frank J. Wood Bridge, during which the bridge’s condition has continued to deteriorate to the point where school buses and fire trucks are no longer allowed on it. The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston sided with the agency on Tuesday, finding no merit to the preservation groups’ complaints about the state’s approach to estimating costs.