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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 A U G U S T 2 2 , 2 0 2 2 F O C U S G R E AT E R B A N G O R / N O R T H E R N M A I N E "Bangor today reminds me very much of Portland in the early 1980s, when it was just starting to see itself in a different light," Hanson says. "ere's an energy that comes with that, and I'm sensing that in Bangor." Full speed ahead for border bridge makeover D espite some raw material cost increases, a proj- ect to build a new bridge linking the Aroostook County town of Madawaska and Edmundston, New Brunswick, remains on track for completion in 2023. "We are on schedule," says Jackson A. Parker, chair- man and CEO of Reed & Reed Inc., the Woolwich- based company awarded an $86.5 million contract in April 2021 by the Maine Department of Transportation. e project has a total price tag of $97.5 million. About 35 Reed & Reed employees, out of 225 total at the employee-owned firm, are working on the project, with 15 Canadian crew members from New Brunswick-based Greenfield Construction on the other side of the border. Parker says the first steel girders are set to be erected as of Aug. 22, with the 2023 finish line date unaffected by some cost challenges along the way. "We have been hit with some cost increases driven by price volatility in various commodities, in particular steel and energy costs," Parker says. e new bridge will replace a 100-year-old struc- ture approaching the end of its useful life, with a deck and superstructure in poor condition. For that reason, there has been a five-ton weight limit on the bridge since October 2017, creating a significant detour. e existing building and land port of entry on the U.S. side are also substandard and need to be replaced, according to the Maine DOT. In 2021, Reed & Reed installed two pier founda- tions while Greenfield built two others. e new bridge will be constructed on a new align- ment, crossing the St. John River at an angle of around 45 degrees and be located 1,400 feet upstream from the existing bridge; because of the new alignment, the C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E ยป WB Industrial will supply products to earthwork and concrete jobs, roads/ bridges/construction jobs, grow businesses, storage units, livestock farms, health centers and commercial buildings of all types, infrastructure projects such as sand-salt sheds and municipal buildings, etc. WAREBUTLER.COM CONTACT US for your non-residential and commercial construction needs statewide in Maine. Put our statewide buying power and experienced sales team to work for you! andrewm@warebutler.com OR matt@warebutler.com Fabric / Pipe / Culverts / Styrofoam insulation / Construction lumber Sheet goods / Millwork / Metal roofing and siding products PRODUCTS OFFERED: AND MORE! P H O T O S / C O U R T E S Y O F R E E D & R E E D I N C . The reconstruction of an international bridge linking the Aroostook County town of Madawasaka to Edmundston, New Brunswick, is slated for completion in 2023.