Demolition crews in Maine have started removing damaged parts of a new river bridge that partly collapsed while workers were pouring concrete. The incident sent injured workers to hospital and brought a major bridge replacement project to a halt.
Engineers and heavy equipment operators are cutting apart and removing damaged sections of the new Llewellyn Estes Bridge over the Stillwater River in Old Town. According to updates published by the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), contractors are using special heavy machinery to separate damaged sections from the supporting piers and abutments. They are then lifting the broken pieces out of the river.
The demolition follows an incident on August 13, when a newly built section of the bridge suddenly failed as workers poured wet concrete for the new bridge deck.
Controlled dismantling and river cleanup
Demolition work began on Tuesday, 13 October. Crews must break the collapsed structure into smaller pieces while working above the water. Officials at MaineDOT confirmed that heavy equipment operators are carefully lifting the broken materials out of the Stillwater River.
The debris will then be taken to dry land for processing and disposal. Engineers planned the slow, careful removal process to protect workers and avoid damaging nearby concrete piers and abutments that survived the original collapse.
To make room for the large cranes and equipment needed for the work, state transport officials introduced daytime traffic closures on the nearby temporary bridge carrying Stillwater Avenue.
Under guidelines issued by MaineDOT, the temporary bridge will close at intervals between 9 am and 3 pm. Transport officials have set up a signed detour directing drivers along Bennoch Road, North Main Street, and College Avenue while heavy lifting takes place above the road. Safety teams said the need for road closures would decrease as demolition work moved downstream and farther away from the active detour lane.
Collapse during concrete deck pour
The incident happened on 13 August 2026 during construction of a modern replacement for the ageing Llewellyn Estes Bridge. The bridge carries Stillwater Avenue over two channels of the Stillwater River. As workers poured wet concrete onto the bridge deck, one of the main spans suddenly failed and collapsed into the river below. Several construction workers were injured in the fall and needed immediate medical checks and treatment.
The new bridge was still under construction and closed to public traffic when the collapse happened. Drivers were already using a nearby temporary bridge built by MaineDOT to keep traffic moving through Old Town. After the accident, state inspectors examined the temporary bridge to check whether the collapse of the nearby structure had affected its safety. The inspection confirmed that the temporary bridge remained stable and safe for public use.
Multi-agency forensic investigation
State transport officials launched a detailed investigation to find out what caused the bridge deck to fail. MaineDOT partnered with the Federal Highway Administration's Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center to carry out the investigation and provide independent structural analysis and technical support. The review team also includes the main contractor, Reed & Reed, Inc., the beam designer and manufacturer, Basalt Engineering International, and the Advanced Structures and Composites Center.
Investigation teams inspected the site and collected material samples from the debris. They are reviewing design calculations, records of how materials were made, and the procedures used to pour the concrete. In an official statement released after the incident, MaineDOT officials stressed that a full investigation was needed before construction could safely restart. "MaineDOT and its partners continue to collect and review all available information and data related to the design, fabrication, and construction of the new Llewellyn Estes Bridge," the department said in an official public statement.
"This information gathering is part of a thorough and comprehensive review to determine the factors that led to the failure of one of the new spans during concrete placement of the new bridge deck."
Next steps for bridge replacement
The Llewellyn Estes Bridge replacement is part of Maine's wider infrastructure improvement programme. The programme aims to replace ageing river crossings across Penobscot County. Once demolition crews finish removing the damaged concrete and support beams from the Stillwater River, engineers will examine the exposed foundation piers to assess their condition. Plans to rebuild the bridge will depend on the findings of the joint investigation led by MaineDOT and federal highway investigators.
State transport officials said public safety remains the main priority. They will provide further traffic updates and details about the project schedule as the cleanup work progresses.