MAINEBIZ • July 19, 2023
Ninety percent of bridges and culverts on the roads in Maine that cross salt marshes and tidal waterways are not equipped to handle the ebb and flow of the tides. That leads to higher road maintenance costs, a shortened lifespan for culverts and bridges, unplanned road closures that can put public well-being and safety at risk, and harm to commercial fisheries and important habitat. That’s why the Department of Marine Resources' Maine Coastal Program, along with 30 other organizations, published a 100-page manual offering technical guidance on how to increase the safety of road crossings over Maine’s coastal wetlands and waterways.