Got time for a meeting? Take part whenever works for you. Maine Department of Transportation has set up the self-guided meeting online, to tell about, and seek public comment on, a planned replacement of a bridge over Ben Brook in Alna.

The bridge is not the one on Alna's Egypt Road that also spans Ben Brook and that selectmen, with MaineDOT and other partners, have worked years toward replacing. The on-demand, preliminary public meeting, with an introduction to read, a series of slides to click or tap through and a place to comment, is about John Erskine Bridge along Route 194, a third of a mile west of the Newcastle line.

View the meeting at mainedot.gov/vpi

The presentation states a preliminary design report is set to be complete in August; then in September would come a formal public meeting; bids would be sought in November 2026, with construction eyed for 2027.

Second Selectman Steve Graham, meanwhile, is eying 2026 for the new bridge over Ben Brook on Egypt Road. 

In a phone interview May 1, Graham said he has contacted MaineDOT for more information on the John Erskine Bridge project as the town continues work toward the project on Egypt Road. He said the one Alna is managing is "moving along steadily, with (MaineDOT's) help ... They're assisting us in a lot of different areas" of the project.

The online meeting on the John Erskine Bridge project states: "Maintenance of traffic during construction will be accomplished through one of the following options: a closed road for 30-45 days with detour traffic on area roads, a temporary bridge to maintain traffic on-site, or staged construction. However, the staged construction option is unlikely due to poor soil conditions and debris from previous structures likely present beneath the embankment."

MaineDOT expects its project to cost $1.6 million, including engineering; the online meeting seeks "public input regarding any concerns that we should be made aware of. You can return to this meeting to comment or ask questions anytime during the comment period."

The materials online say comment will be accepted via the website until May 19; or contact Project Manager Brian Nichols at (207)-446-6178 or at brian.nichols@maine.gov

The introduction states the 10-foot span box culvert now at the bridge "unnaturally constricts the flow of a naturally 36-foot wide or wider channel. This constriction has the potential to cause significant scour erosion at the culvert ends, which could pose a migration barrier to critical species such as Atlantic salmon and smelt. The restriction caused by the current culvert cannot be alleviated without a replacement structure. Alternative replacement options include a traditional span structure, which would allow for natural stream conditions, or a precast concrete box culvert designed to match the natural stream grade and channel widths. However, the box culvert option is unlikely due to the (site's) wide natural banks ..."