Two Interstate 295 bridges in Portland are getting a $3 million paint job.
The work on the Tukey’s and Franklin bridges started this week and will run into October or November, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.
Crews will first need to remove the old paint from both bridges right down to the steel, and then they will apply three fresh coats of paint, which the Department of Transportation said will extend the lives of the bridges.
This work will likely involve overnight lane closures while crews set up and break down their equipment. In addition to lane closures, the work may affect pedestrians who use the walking path under Tukey’s Bridge. That is expected to affect pedestrians only during the project’s first two and last two weeks.
Tukey’s Bridge carries I-295 over Back Cove, while Franklin Bridge carries the highway over Franklin Street.
Saffo Contractors Inc. of Wilmington, North Carolina, will be doing the work. The estimated cost is $2,956,500.
