SCARBOROUGH — A $14 million, 2 1/2-year replacement of the aging Cummings Road bridge over the Maine Turnpike began last week.

The overpass will be demolished and a new three-span steel girder will be erected in its place. CPM Constructors, of Freeport, is using a phased approach to construction to maintain traffic flow.

During Phase 1, which is expected to be completed by the end of January, traffic will continue to use the bridge while two lanes of the new bridge are built to the south. 

According to the town, a reduction in the width of the road to create a barrier for workers, with occasional alternating one-way traffic, will affect traffic flow.

Traffic will be shifted onto the new bridge during Phase 2, while the old bridge is demolished.

Once the old bridge is removed, the remaining portion of the new bridge will be built in Phase 3.

There will be periodic nightly closures and one weekend-long closure to join concrete once the second half of the new bridge is complete. 

The Cummings Road bridge is a two-lane, four-span, continuous 280-foot structure about 29 feet wide. The approach roadway will be widened to accommodate four 11-foot lanes and two 5-foot shoulders, for an overall width of 54 feet between guardrails. 

Cummings Road is now two 11-foot lanes with gravel shoulders that vary from 1.5 to 6 feet. Eventually, the road will be widened and rebuilt west of the existing road and the bridge will be raised and widened to accommodate the new lane configuration and bridge span arrangement. 

According to the Maine Turnpike Authority, the projected completion date for construction is June 25, 2021.

Jocelyn Van Saun can be reached at 781-3661, ext. 183 or jvansaun@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter @JocelynVanSaun.

Construction began last week on replacement of the Cummings Road bridge over the Maine Turnpike in Scarborough.

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