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Sarah Long Bridge Reopens

The damaged Sarah Long Bridge between Portsmouth and Kittery is now open again to motorists.

Six weeks to the day after the bridge was struck by an oil  tanker vessel, Department of Transportation officials have re-opened the span.  Bill Boynton, with the DOT said that repair  crews worked from sunup to sundown for the last several weeks.  As a result, the bridge work was completed ahead of the expected date of Memorial Day weekend.  He also said that the repair cost could be lower than first thought.

“I can tell you that it’s going to be significantly less than the damage estimate which was 2 and a half million dollars.  But, like an old car, the cost of getting it running again may not be what the overall damage is.”

Repair crews replaced damaged steel and other materials during the project.  Boynton said that the DOT is hoping the bridge will remain safe and open for at least two more years.  The newly reconstructed Memorial Bridge nearby is expected to be open by July.

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