NORWAY – A new bridge on Morse Road will be assembled out of a box in the next few weeks.

“We call it a ‘bridge in a box,'” said highway Superintendent Ron Springer of the new bridge that will be shipped by truck from somewhere down south in the next few days and then assembled on site, much like a modular home.

Springer said the bridge parts will be laid out. Then workers will hook the high beams together and put the decking on. Finally, it will all have to be welded together.

Two welders with a rented welding machine will be needed.

“It takes time and effort to get it right,” he said.

Normally an engineer from New Hampshire who designed the project will be on hand to help get the bridge construction started, Springer said.

“We’ve done four bridges like this,” Springer said. The first was on Greenleaf Street. Neighboring Waterford was so impressed with the bridge in a box method that they too ordered one, Springer said.

The work is expected to take about two and one-half weeks and Morse Road will remain closed until at least Aug. 11.

The bridge, which has been there for decades, last underwent work in 1983 when the decking was replaced. This year the bridge was considered “shaky,” said Springer, so a new bridge was ordered.

The bridge runs over a no-name stream that eventually runs into Crooked River by Dunn Road in the area that was once known as the Chapel District.

The old abutments have been taken out along with the cross rail decking leaving only the central steel girder.

Springer said in addition to the bridge work, the department is also completing other summer work including road ditching and raising roads to grade and doing patch work on other roads.

In another month, the department will start thinking about going out to bid for sand and salt.

“We want it by the end of November,” said Springer, who has about 700 to 800 yards of sand and a tiny bit of salt left from last year. At that time, the sanders will be cleaned and prepared to put into service, basins will all be cleaned out and then Highway Department workers will wait.

“When that first snowflake falls, we’re gone. I hope we have a mild winter,” Springer said chuckling.