Portsmouth Maplewood Ave. Bridge to close for repairs: Detour and project details here

PORTSMOUTH — Maplewood Avenue Bridge is closing temporarily, starting Monday, Aug. 26, for structural repairs to the causeway over North Mill Pond, the city announced. The $4 million project includes repairs to the culvert and other safety upgrades.

Work is planned 7 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays, although some work will need to be done at low tide, which will affect the project when work is being done on the culvert under the bridge. The bridge will remain closed on weekends.

Once the bridge begins to take form again in the fall, according to the city, it will reopen partially and flaggers will be used to guide one lane of alternating traffic while the work crew is finishing the sidewalks and railings.

The project is expected to be substantially complete by November. Final paving is planned for spring 2025.

Maplewood Avenue traffic will be detoured to the Route 1 Bypass and Market Street. The Bartlett Street project is also proceeding and more access there will be available soon.

The condition of this bridge was included in the 2018 citywide bridge evaluation. This assessment determined a rehabilitation of the arch was possible with an adhered lining system to extend the lifespan of the bridge without the cost of an immediate full replacement. This rehabilitation work will include resurfacing of the roadway, replacing the bridge’s guard rails, reconstructing the curb and sidewalks and repairing the bridge’s walls. This repair work is intended to rehabilitate the bridge and make it suitable for use for at least another 10 years. Extending the timeframe for full replacement has improved the city’s chance of obtaining the 80% New Hampshire Department of Transportation State Bridge Aid Program funds for full replacement in the future.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth Maplewood Ave. Bridge to close for repairs: Detour and project details here