Windham is accepting bids for replacements for Varney’s Bridge, a 60-year-old structure that crosses the Pleasant River as part of William Knight Road, with hopes of replacing the bridge in late 2026.

Town Engineer Mark Arienti said the current bridge was constructed in 1965, has not had any significant changes throughout its history and has multiple major issues.

There is scour at the bridge’s foundation, which is affecting the stability of the bridge, as well as cracks in the abutments. In addition, the bridge has a load limit of just 3 tons, as imposed by the Maine Department of Transportation, meaning large vehicles such as plow trucks and school buses are unable to cross.

One of the town’s priorities in developing the new bridge will be to expand its width. Currently, the bridge is only about 21 feet wide, which Arienti said is unsafe for motorists and bicyclists. The proposed bridge is planned to have two 11-foot-wide lanes with 3-foot shoulders on each side, expanding the total width by about 7 inches. Meanwhile, the span of the bridge is expected to more than double, expanding from the current 26 feet to 60 feet to improve the approaches to the bridge on either side.

Regarding improvements to the structure of the bridge to make it more durable, a civic alert on the town’s website calling for bids says that the existing bridge will be replaced with a steel superstructure, which will have a concrete deck and abutments with concrete integral wearing surface.

The town expects to receive bids from contractors until Wednesday, Nov. 26. From there, Arienti said the town would review the bids to make sure that they meet the minimum requirements of insurance and bonding, while also looking for the lowest qualified bid price. It would then confirm a selection within a week, which would be voted on by the Town Council.

Arienti told Lakes Region Now that the new bridge would be installed in the second half of 2026. Work on the project is expected to begin in late May, with construction on the new bridge starting in July, and the bridge planned to be in place by no later than Sept. 30. During the two months that the bridge is expected to be closed to the public, Arienti predicted that motorists would have to take a detour on Falmouth Road, or Route 302, to cross the Pleasant River.