Kittery Will See North Span of Bridge in March

Editor's note: Welcome to "Across the River," which offers stories and news from Kittery, Maine. Each Thursday, Portsmouth Patch will present a story about this community along with a short list of upcoming events and happenings around town. All Portsmouth Patch stories about Kittery, Maine will also be posted in our new "Across the River" topic page that can be accessed by clicking on the News section of the tool bar any time.

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Kittery residents who watched the South Span floated in to the new Memorial Bridge on Tuesday are now on deck to receive the North Span, according to Archer Western Contractors officials.

Steve Del Grosso, who serves as Archer Western Contractors project manager for the Memorial Bridge, said Tuesday the steel to assemble the North Span was scheduled to arrive at the New Hampshire State Pier on Wednesday. He said Archer Western Contractors crews were expected to begin assembling the North Span on a barge beginning on Thursday.

If everything goes as planned, Del Grosso said the North Span would be floated in to the Kittery approach on Badger's Island in mid-March. The operation to transport the North Span to the Kittery side of the Piscataqua River will be similar to the way the South Span was moved.

Portsmouth Pilot tugboats will escort the Cape Cod barge and the North Span and maneuver it into place so that it will rest on top of the Kittery approach and two pier pilings. Archer Western Contractors crews will then weld the North Span into place.

According to Archer Western Contractors officials, the new Memorial Bridge that will once again link Portsmouth and Kittery is right on scheduled to be completed on July 6.

Meetings:

Town Hall closed on Friday, Jan. 18 and on Monday, Jan. 21 for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Kittery Planning Board, Thursday, Jan. 24, 6 p.m.

Events

Lexi James and Kryer Creek concert: Lexi James and Kryer Creek will perform in concert at the Kittery Community Center at Frisbee Commons on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and $7 for students and seniors. Concert proceeds will go to Project Graduation Class of 2013.

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