MADRID TOWNSHIP — Orbeton Stream Bridge on Reeds Mill Road will be closed to all public access starting July 7 and continuing through Sept. 10, according to the Franklin County administrator.

The closure is necessary to replace the steel superstructure and composite deck. The project will include repairs and modifications to the concrete abutments and wings to ensure long-term safety and function of the bridge, county Administrator Amy Bernard said in a news release.

County commissioners voted in March to accept the lowest of two bids for over a $1 million from Wyman & Simpson Inc. of Richmond to replace the bridge.

Commissioners chose replacing the bridge during the summer to prevent buses from Maine School Administrative District 58 in Phillips from having to take a 30-mile detour to school in the fall.

“It is a pretty well traveled road,” Bernard previously said.

The money will come from the unorganized territory budget.

The county had a temporary bridge built in 2023 for about $100,000.

The bridge has 75-year lifespan. A rebuilt bridge would have to be painted in 30 to 40 years.

Bernard said emergency responders should plan accordingly for emergency response, public safety operations and local traffic routing.

Detour routes will be clearly marked when the signs go up.

For questions or more information contact Bernard at 207-778-6614 or by email at [email protected].