Question: What is happening on the Mountain Road bridge project, such that they have to enclose the bottom of it in tarps? I was out kayaking this morning with a handful of friends, and we all were wondering what was up, literally, as we went under the bridge.
Mary Robinson, Orr’s Island
Answer: According to Maine Department of Transportation spokesperson Paul Merrill, the tarps will be used to protect the environment as crews repaint the Ewing Narrows Bridge over the coming weeks.
“Repainting is an important element of bridge maintenance,” Merrill said in an email on Aug. 19. “Removing old paint creates dust and debris, so our contracting partners use tarps to contain and collect that waste.”
The tarps also allow the contractors to collect the “shot blast,” small metal beads used to strip the paint, because that blast material can be reused, he said.
Bridges are generally repainted with three coats of new paint, according to Merrill. During the repainting process, the tarps help to maintain consistent environmental conditions during paint application and prevent any over-spray from getting into the natural environment.
Merrill said the bridge contractor was on-site as of Aug. 19 and planned to start blasting to remove the paint as soon as the weather allowed.
“Blasting will take two to four weeks, depending on the weather,” he said. “Painting will take another two to four weeks.”
J. Craig Anderson, Reporter, Harpswell Anchor
Send “Ask the Anchor” questions to joliver@harpswellanchor.org.
