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Simpson Road Bridge: MDOT Report

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RELATED MATERIAL Recent photographs. Bridge inspection summary. City Council actions. Memo: Larry Nadeau, 8/20/01. Memo: CLD Consulting Engineers, 10/12/01. News: Protecting A Piece Of History. Stackpole Creek Bridge Temporarily Supported. Traffic Detoured During Work. City Councilors Briefed On Bridge Situation. Letters to residents. Link: CLD Consulting Engineers.

Below is a summary of a report issued by the Maine Department of Transportation regarding the Simpson Road bridge.

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July 23, 2001

MR LARRY NADEAU
MUNICIPALITY OF SACO
300 MAIN STREET
SACO ME 04072

Enclosed is a copy of the July 18, 2001 inspection report for the Simpson Road stone arch culvert as you requested. This structure is in very poor condition with a risk of collapse. Since the risk is very high during high water flows, I recommend closure during these periods until the structure can be inspected. The structure has lost several stones, some stones have broken, the downstream portion of the southeast abutment wall has moved in about 1 foot and has created large voids behind the face stones, and the entire upstream end of the arch appears to have shifted upstream about 1. 5 inches.

Possible repairs were discussed with Mr. Ron Klein from your office. Repairs would require dewatering each abutment, cleaning to bare ledge, installing a reinforced concrete base pinned to ledge, pressure grouting the stones, and/or excavating the roadway and placing a flowable fill into the rubble stone backfill. Since some voids are large, a large quantity of material may be needed. With the unknown volume of voids, it will not be possible to calculate the volume of material needed. These measures would hopefully stabilize the movement of the stones while preserving the appearance. It would be prudent to brace the unstable stones before adding this pressure behind them. The roadway pavement should be either sealed or preferably overlaid out to the retaining walls to minimize water infiltrating into this area. Drains may be needed to try & minimize trapping any water behind these stones after grouting.

Knowles Industrial Services Incorporated has done grouting repairs for MDOT. Their address is:

Knowles Industrial Services Incorporated
295 New Portland Road
Gorham, Maine 04038
Tel. 854-1900

Since this is a repair of a non-bridge on a town way, funding assistance is not available from MDOT.

If you have any questions on this report, please contact me at 287-2759.