The Federal Highway Administration and Maine Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting Wednesday on improvement alternatives being considered for the Frank J. Wood Bridge.

The meeting will start at 6 p.m. in the L.L. Bean Learning Commons and Science Center at 29 Sewall St., located at Brunswick Landing on Southern Maine Community College’s Midcoast campus.

The meeting will start with a brief presentation introducing the project and alternatives under consideration. MDOT and FHWA staff with expertise in the areas of project design and engineering, natural and cultural resources and bicycle and pedestrian issues will then listen to concerns, receive comments and answer questions from the public.

The MDOT has presented five project alternatives — the first three being a new multi-span, steel girder bridge either in the current location, upstream or downstream of the “Green” bridge. The other two alternatives involve rehabilitating the 85-year-old steel truss bridge and in one case, adding a sidewalk.

According to a summary of the improvement alternatives prepared by engineer firm T.Y. Lin International, the bridge carries approximately 19,000 vehicles a day over the Androscoggin River along Routes 201 and 24 between Brunswick and Topsham. The bridge has been classified by the FHWA as structurally deficient with a poor deck condition rating.

Because of ongoing deterioration of the structural steel, MDOT plans to make temporary repairs to address the worst issues so the bridge can maintain its current 25-ton load rating for up to five years, the summary states.

A new upstream bridge would cost an estimated $13 million and have a 100-year life span, according to the draft report. A rehabilitation would give the Frank J. Wood Bridge a 75-year life span, with an initial estimated cost of $15 million but an overall life cycle construction cost of $20.8 million.

Before deciding on a longterm solution, the MDOT is awaiting the Federal Highway Administration to finish its review of historic and environmental impacts the alternative projects would have, and to identify its preferred alternative.

Wednesday’s meeting will allow state and federal agencies to gather additional public and community input “regarding all aspects of the project as they contemplate their selection of the preferred alternative,” the meeting notice states.

Written comments will be accepted until April 19 and can be submitted through http://maine.gov/mdot/env/ under Environmental Process-Public Review and Comment.

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