FREEPORT

Monday saw the completion of a three-day, largely volunteer, construction project in Freeport to rebuild a bridge after a severe weather washout stranded two homeowners.

More than 15 local companies donated funds, materials, and labor to the effort spearheaded by Andy Kittredge, a project manager for CPM Constructors in Freeport.

“I read about the washout in the paper and I figured there must be something we could do to help the families,” said Kittredge. “Without that bridge they were completely stranded — no way in or out.”

The bridge on private Turkey Ridge Lane that spanned Allen Brook washed out Aug. 13 when Freeport received a record-setting rainfall of 6 inches in less than a day. The total cost of damages resulting from that storm was estimated by Town Engineer Albert Presgraves to be in the range of $120,000, according to a town report.

That figure did not include the bridge reconstruction project — which was estimated to cost between $80,000 and $100,000 — as Turkey Ridge Lane is a private road and ineligible for local or state funding.

“I work third shift,” said Beth Toothaker, a Turkey Ridge Lane homeowner and registered nurse who was at work during the Aug. 13 storm. “I was watching the weather because we’d had minor washouts before, but I never expected this.”

Since the road was lost, Toothaker’s car had to remain by the roadside and she had to use an ATV to get to and from the car for work and to bring her daughter to school in the morning.

With the weather turning colder, she was increasingly worried about how they would get through the winter.

“At first I told the homeowners, ‘No promises.’ It was just an idea I had of how we could get it done,” said Kittredge. “We broke (the project) down into bitesized pieces so it was more favorable for people to donate.”

And donate they did. Businesses from Westbrook, Portland and Cumberland, all the way to Lewiston, Brunswick and Gardiner, contributed to the construction effort to rebuilt the road.

“As soon as I started making phone calls it was obvious we were going to have the materials to get it done,” said Kittredge. “The real challenge was getting everybody on the same page for the same week.”

The fall is a busy season for contractors who are pushing to complete projects before the winter, said Kittredge. In three weeks, however, he had coordinated a three-day construction project between all the businesses.

Just $4,500 short of his goal, Kittredge reached out to a Realtor friend, Heather Shields, who solicited donations from colleagues in the realty industry to bridge the final gap.

CPM gave Kittredge the OK to manage the project, which included the replacement of a culvert and restoration of the road. Last Wednesday, a six-foot corrugated metal pipe and three- foot overflow pipe were installed.

On Thursday, 700 yards of fill were brought in to bring the road back up to grade and, on Friday, 100 yards of gravel and 100 cubic yards of riprap were installed to stabilize the slopes, according to a release from CPM Constructors.

The finishing touches were completed on Monday, with the installation of a recycled guardrail by Main Line Fence, of Cumberland.

“You just don’t see this kind of thing anymore,” said Matt Jordan, machine operator and guardrail installer with Main Line Fence, on Monday. “ It restores your faith to see a community pull together like this and get the job done.”

“It was extremely kind of (Kittredge) to put himself out there and do all of this work for us,” said Toothaker. “He was on the phone all the time and he was still working full time for CPM. In all, he was working about 80 hours a week so he could help us.

“Business owners who I had never even met are using their own money and resources to help out two families,” said Toothaker in a statement from CPM Constructors. “I am just blown away by their generosity.”

Anderson Equipment Company, Chadwick- BaRoss Inc., Copp Excavation, Scott Dugas Trucking & Excavating, Gendron & Gendron, Keller Williams Realty, Ray Labbe & Sons, Midcoast Paving, Everett J. Prescott Inc., Sunbelt Rentals, Legacy Properties, Doug Tourtelotte Excavation and VHB Inc. were among those who donated to the project.

CPM Constructors is a Freeport-based general contracting company founded in 1985. The company specializes in bridge, road, utility and marine work.

ANDERSON EQUIPMENT Company, Chadwick-BaRoss Inc., Copp Excavation, Scott Dugas Trucking & Excavating, Gendron & Gendron, Keller Williams Realty, Ray Labbe & Sons, Midcoast Paving, Everett J. Prescott Inc., Sunbelt Rentals, Legacy Properties, Doug Tourtelotte Excavation and VHB Inc. were among those who donated to the project.

CPM CONSTRUCTORS is a Freeport-based general contracting company founded in 1985. The company specializes in bridge, road, utility and marine work.