Tonight, the people of Brunswick and Topsham have the ability to make their voice known as to whether we should replace or rehabilitate the Frank Wood Bridge between our two towns. The question is not new to those in the area. In fact, the question has been building for the last nine decades. That’s right. Nice decades. Ever since the bridge’s first steel beam was pulled from the foundry and sent to Brunswick.

According to information made public on the Maine Department of Transportation website, the cost to build a new bridge in the same general area as the current bridge is a about $13 million. Conversely, one option for rebuilding the bridge shows a cost of about $15 million. An even costlier version was worked up in order to add a sidewalk to the bridge. That option came in at about $17 million.

The real cost of the project is seen over the lifetime of the bridge. The Department of Transportation forecasts that by rehabilitating the bridge we may see an additional 75 years of life breathed into the steel truss structure. For those 75 years though we see a total cost of between $35 million and $38 million for the reconstruction and maintenance.

The DOT also forecasts that a newly built bridge will have a lifespan of about one hundred years. Given a different type of construction and the lack of reliance on an exposed steel superstructure, the cost over the lifetime of a newly constructed bridge is less than half of even the cheapest rebuilding option.

No one likes to see a good item be cast aside. In our current climate that favors recycling it would great to see the Frank J. Wood bridge get a few repairs, a fresh coat of paint and a new lease on life. Unfortunately, by going down the rebuilding path we are throwing more money away now and more money in the future.

Some have compared our bridge to those in Lisbon and Richmond. Those bridges were built of the same sturdy and unsightly construction methods of the 1930’s. They, like our bridge, served their communities well and they were replaced. The architectural significance of this type of bridge was not enough to overcome the safety and financial considerations of their replacement.

A modern bridge with modern construction that is capable of supporting the movement of modern loads is what these communities need. We do not need a relic to the past that must be posted and continuously watched for near failing structures. Brunswick and Topsham deserve a bridge that works for all of us, not just those vehicles under a certain weight capacity.

The bridge is 85 years old and it is made out of steel. It is called the “Green Bridge” but if you have driven over it lately it appears far more rust colored than green. It is time to let it slip into the vault of memories that make up our history and let technological advancements lead us to the end of this century.

By some estimations there are about 19,000 vehicles that move over the bridge daily. That is tens of millions of pounds, moving and shaking, across that 800 feet of roadway. The number of cars is likely to increase as populations grow and as commerce increases between the towns. That added traffic leads to even more of a strain and stress on the current bridge.

There is also the added pressure from the billions of gallons of water that rushes beneath the bridge on a daily basis. That water represents an incredible force and one that is not easily tamed and is ever present. Over 85 years that pressure is immense.

For me the choice is clear. I hope that we come together to replace the bridge and build a structure that will serve us as well as the current bridge has. It is time to replace the bridge.

If you are interested in going to the public hearing it will be at 6 PM at the SMCC campus at Brunswick Landing at 29 Sewall St.

That’s my two cents …

Jonathan Crimmins can be reached at j_ [email protected]