MADAWASKA, Maine — In less than a month, drivers will be able to travel to and from Canada on a brand new international bridge connecting Madawaska and Edmundston. The roughly $100 million bridge will open to regular traffic in early June, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.
Woolwich-based contractor Reed & Reed has been working on the bridge since 2021. It was awarded the project after making the low bid of $86.5 million.
The total cost for the project, including demolition, is estimated to be $97.5 million.
As of Tuesday, Maine DOT spokesperson Paul Merrill was unable to provide a specific opening date.
The new bridge, which will run diagonally across the St. John River, will replace one that is over 100 years old and in critical condition. The existing bridge was posted at five tons in 2017, forcing large trucks to detour to international crossings in Van Buren and Fort Kent — both roughly half an hour away.
The new bridge will first open with some restrictions, allowing contractors to demolish the existing abutment on the Canadian port of entry that connected the old bridge. The bridge will be posted with the same five-ton restriction until this work is complete.
Demolition of the old bridge is expected to begin this summer.
The bridge will also connect to a new $65 million port of entry on the American side. The old port of entry, which was built in 1959, had no room for expansion. Its office and inspection spaces were also not up to U.S. Customs and Border Protection standards.
The new port will be able to house more staff and facilities. It will also be certified energy efficient and sustainable by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The completion of the bridge was delayed to early June after initially being expected to open last March. At the time, Merrill said the construction was put on hold between late December and early January. Since work resumed, he said contractors worked to remove an in-water work trestle under the new bridge and place it under the old bridge to help with demolition.
The old bridge, which runs straight across the St. John River, will close once the new bridge opens next month.
