After years of discussions, a plan and design for a new bridge over the Gut in South Bristol has been agreed upon and sold to a contractor.

The current swing bridge has undergone multiple mechanical failures and the process of replacement has been underway for almost a decade. The town originally recommended a large counterweighted bascule bridge, which was countered by a bridge proposed by South Bristol resident Beth Fisher.

Boston based architect engineer Miguel Rosales designed this smaller hydraulic powered bridge that Fisher saw as more aesthetically pleasing than the original proposal.

Eventually, a smaller bascule bridge was agreed upon.

“We’ve had a lot of public meetings about it,” South Bristol Selectmen Chris Plummer said.

Construction bids began on February 5, 2014 and ultimately the project was awarded to Cianbro Corporation of Pittsfield on June 30, 2014.

According to the Maine Department of Transportation, they intend for the bridge bridge to be open to traffic mid-2015.

Chris Plummer expressed hope that construction would begin this coming fall.

“I think we’re all ready for it to come to fruition,” he said.

The new bridge will take into account the Miguel Rosales design proposed by Fisher that led to the hiring of bridge designers Hardesty & Hanover. The hope is that the new bridge, developed as a sort of compromise, will be more aesthetically pleasing than the first design that was presented. Some viewed the original bridge design as unnecessarily large.

Beyond aesthetics, the new bridge will be much more maintainable and lower maintenance than the current swing bridge. This new bridge will feature self-lubricated sealed bearings as well as materials that meet the standards for heavy-duty marine and industrial usage.

The Gut is a small channel that separates Route 129 from Rutherford Island and serves as a passage for boats hoping to avoid circumnavigating the island.

The current swing bridge has had mechanical failures multiple times in the past month alone. The Maine Department Transportation has stated in the design plan that reliability is the number one goal of the new bascule bridge.