CPM Contractors is leading a $27M bridge replacement project in Yarmouth for the Maine Department of Transportation. The project, funded federally, includes the replacement of two bridges on I-295 over Route 1 and the extension of a pathway. Significant progress has been made, with the new bridges aiming to last over 100 years.
MaineDOT photo
The Maine Department of Transportation is in the process of replacing two interstate bridges.
The Maine Department of Transportation is in the process of replacing two interstate bridges that carry the northbound and southbound lanes of I-295 over Route 1 near Exit 17 in Yarmouth. The project also includes the extension of the Beth Condon Memorial Pathway to the Yarmouth Visitor Center.
CPM Constructors, based in Freeport, Maine, is the general contractor of the project, while Shaw Brothers Construction of Gorham, Maine, serves as the subcontractor.
Work began in the fall of 2021 on this multi-year project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The contract is valued at $27,566,210, and the project has received federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Competitive Highway Bridge Program.
Significant progress has been made. According to Anthony Salafia, CPM Constructors project manager, both new bridges are now open to traffic, and the old bridges have been demolished. A shared-use path sidewalk is currently under construction and is expected to be completed later this year.
"The Route 1 portion of the project includes a 12-foot-wide multi-use path, which enhances pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity," said Salafia. "The design of Route 1 will be modified to accommodate the newly constructed bridge piers, replacing the old structure, which had only two piers — one on each side of Route 1. This change makes room for the multi-use path. The old bridges, built in the 1960s, have been replaced with new ones that are expected to last more than 100 years with periodic maintenance."
The gallery page on MaineDOT's Yarmouth I-295 Bridge Replacement website details the construction progress, offering month-by-month updates. For example, in January 2024, rebar installation was completed, and by November 2024, the final overhang above Route 1 was successfully removed, allowing work to proceed to the next phases.
"By early 2024, the new southbound I-295 bridge was open to traffic, the old northbound bridge was demolished and construction of the new northbound bridge had begun," said Salafia. "In 2024, we continued to work on the substructure of the new northbound bridge. By May, both abutments and the pier were completed, and the structural steel was installed. From May to August, our team constructed and placed the concrete bridge deck and barriers. Shaw Brothers, the earthwork and paving subcontractor, paved the new northbound bridge, which opened to traffic in the fall of 2024. Afterward, the remaining southbound bridge was demolished once the northbound bridge was completed."
The construction equipment used on the Yarmouth I-295 Bridge Replacement project includes a Link-Belt LS-218H 100-ton crane; a Terex HC-275 275-ton crane; a Grove RT875C 40-ton rough-terrain crane; a Doosan air compressor; a Magnum Pro MLT3060 LT light tower; and a JLG G9-43A telescoping forklift.
Materials used in the project include 2,800 cu. yds. of concrete; 1,410,000 lbs. of structural steel; 539,000 lbs. of rebar; 16,800 tons of pavement; and 10,000 linear ft. of portable concrete barriers. CEG
Today's top stories
