MILFORD – One lane of a new bridge on the County Road that was near completion remains closed to traffic as state officials continue to try to sort out a structural issue.

The bridge has been under 24-7 monitoring by the Maine Department of Transportation for two weeks now. At the time when problems were first discovered, Town Manager Dawn Adams said she had been told there had been a slope failure on the bridge, and that DOT staff was trying to determine what the problem is and how to fix it. At press time, the issue had not yet been resolved.

DOT officials have stressed that there is no threat to public safety in travelling the bridge, but the possibility of it being closed completely to fix the issue at some date in the future has not been ruled out. In the event that happens, town officials have developed a contingency plan that includes having some firefighting equipment available on the back side of the bridge and grading the County Road in the event that traffic needs to be re-routed.