A 54-inch barrier to prevent jumping is expected to be added as part of an upgrade of the aging Salmon Falls Bridge between Buxton and Hollis. Robert Lowell /American Journal
BUXTON — A planned $3 million upgrade to the Salmon Falls Bridge next year may deter thrill seekers from jumping from the bridge into the Saco River.
The Salmon Falls Bridge is popular on hot summer days, as seen in this photo from 2010. Gregory Rec / Portland Press Herald
The deck of the bridge, on Route 202 at the border of Buxton and Hollis, is in poor condition with advanced deterioration, according to a 2018 state inspection report. It’s also narrow and heavily traveled by truckers, making it unsafe for pedestrians and bicyclists. But it is its summertime draw as a jumping platform that is most concerning, town officials say.
Signs state that jumping from the bridge is prohibited, but that hasn’t stopped people – primarily youth – from taking the 25-foot plunge into the river.
“It’s a major safety issue,” said Chad Poitras, chairman of the Buxton Board of Selectmen. “We can’t afford to have a police officer there all day.”
At times traffic slows to a “crawl” because of jumpers, he said.
DOT’s new design for bridge deck will not be conducive to jumping or climbing, said Scott Rollins, senior bridge project manager.
“We are going with a four-rail bridge rail that is approximately 54 inches tall, and not a fence,” Rollins said.
DOT will hold public hearing on the bridge work, but it has not yet been scheduled. More details about the bridge rail and a depiction of it will be available then, Rollins said.
Attendees at a public hearing a year ago said they wanted “a deterrent, but not a fence because of the aesthetic concerns,” he said, and they were concerned a fence would cause “a loss of sight distance at the intersection on the east side of the bridge.”
In the past, local requests for a fence on the bridge to prevent jumping had been met with opposition from the DOT. In 2009, then-York County Sheriff Maurice Ouellette was unsuccessful in his bid for a fence. His request came after a 12-year-old Scarborough boy, preparing to leap from the bridge, ran out from behind a trailer truck, was struck by a pickup truck and was critically injured. Ouellette said at the time that the tragedy could have been prevented.
The bridge is posted for no jumping. Robert Lowell / American Journal
The bridge has an average daily traffic count of 8,297. It was built in 1948 and had some minor rehabilitation on it in 1993, Rollins said. It is 208 feet long and only 26 feet wide with no walking or biking lane.
The bridge gets significant pedestrian traffic.
“I see them all the time,” Poitras said.
A parking area on the Hollis riverbank serves the Salmon Falls Library and the historic Indian Cellar Preserve and trail along the river.
People at the hearing last year cited concerns about pedestrian safety, Rollins said.
After meeting with DOT’s bicycle/pedestrian coordinator, the department decided to provide 5-foot shoulders on both sides of the bridge.
An DOT consultant is in the process of designing the preliminary plan and preparing a preliminary design report.
“We should have that ready in a few months, and we will hold another public meeting once that is complete,” Rollins said.
MDOT plans to advertise for bids in the summer of 2021 and the estimated cost of the project is up to $3 million.
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