One of the bridges that connects Maine and New Hampshire is stuck in the up position and closed to all motor vehicle traffic at least through tomorrow because of a mechanical problem.
New Hampshire Department of Transportation spokesman Bill Boynton says the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, which carries the U.S. Route 1 bypass over the Piscataqua River between Kittery and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was raised into its default position early this morning to allow for river traffic.
“Right now we’re still analyzing the nature of the problem,” he says. “We’re bringing in both private-sector experts as well as our own people and working with the state of Maine to take a close look at the problem.”
Alternatives to the bridge include the high-level Interstate 95 bridge; the Memorial Bridge is available for local traffic.
“It doesn’t affect marine traffic, but vehicular traffic, for at least the next day, perhaps two days — we don’t know yet just how long it will be off-limits to vehicular traffic,” says Maine Department of Transportation spokesman Ted Talbot.