BUCKFIELD – Work has begun on the bridge carrying Route 140 over the West Branch of the Nezinscot River.

The Maine Department of Transportation is replacing the top layer of the bridge deck, said Herb Noyes, the DOT’s bridge maintenance manager for western Maine.

“The wearing surface has deteriorated to the point it no longer protects the rest of the bridge deck from water or winter road salt,” said Noyes. “We’ve patched it several times, but it’s reached the point it just isn’t doing the job any more.”

Traffic has been reduced to a single lane while work is done on the bridge, which is just north of the intersection of Route 140 and Route 117.

In addition to protecting the bridge deck, the new surface will provide a smoother ride for vehicles, Noyes said. He said crews will work on one side of the bridge while temporary traffic signals at each end of the bridge regulate alternating one-way traffic on the other side.

Noyes estimated it will take crews four to six weeks to complete the project.