Final span of NH-Maine Memorial Bridge to be floated into place next month

PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire — The final span of the new Memorial Bridge connecting New Hampshire and Maine is scheduled to be floated into place next month.

The U.S. Coast Guard is planning to close the Piscataqua River to maritime traffic from 9 a.m. June 10 to 9 a.m. June 15 to allow the contractor full access to the bridge.

The contractor, Archer Western Contractors, says the center span is being assembled aboard the barge Cape Cod, which is docked at the Port of New Hampshire.

It will be the most complicated of three spans to put into place.

"We will be working 24 hours a day for the duration of the 5-day channel closure," said Steve DelGrosso, project manager.

The closure will be similar to a three-day closure in February 2012 that took place when the old bridge's center span was removed.

Once the center span is secured, it will be the start of the home stretch for opening the bridge to vehicle traffic, which is scheduled to take place in July.

The bridge is replacing a nearly 90-year-old bridge connecting Portsmouth to Kittery, Maine.

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