Memorial Bridge Won't be Fully Made in America

When the new Memorial Bridge is completed on July 6, Portsmouth area residents will be able to say that nearly all of it was constructed from American made steel, iron and labor. But some of the lift span motor components will be from overseas.

According to the Federal Register, the Memorial Bridge project was granted a buy American waiver to purchase those parts from manufacturers outside of the U.S. because they are not made anywhere here in this country.

The Federal Highway Administration granted the waiver on Monday after it investigated whether any U.S. companies manufacture the following parts: 

• auxiliary two speed motor
• auxiliary back up drive clutch
• main span and backup span motor
• brakes 

The waiver was needed because under the provisions of the federal agency's Buy America policy, any project that receives federal grant funding needs to use domestic steel, iron and coatings products. The Memorial Bridge received a $20 million TIGER grant.

But after the federal agency investigated the matter, it concluded the waiver was appropriate.

Keith Cota, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation's project manager for the Memorial Bridge, issued the following statement on Wednesday afternoon:

"The Department is aware of the need for Buy America waiver for machinery parts and supported the request through FHWA. The cost impact is a small component of the project acquisition for material. The machinery parts are very unique and is not common USA made product. The Department is pleased to obtain the Federal waiver for this project in the shorten processed timeline for the application through the federal system.  The quick response time for this waiver by FHWA shows how much support the Department has at Washington FHWA headquarters. We are pleased with the waiver acceptance. This will allow for our contractor to proceed with machinery acquisition to meet the contract commitments."

Attempts to get comment from Archer Western Contractors officials on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

According to the federal agency's website, members of the public can comment on this finding for an additional 15 days following the effective date of the finding on Feb. 26. Comments may be submitted to the federal agency's website.

The new Memorial Bridge south span was floated in to the Portsmouth side of the Piscataqua River in January and the north span is scheduled to be floated in to the Kittery, Maine side of the river in mid-March.

The Memorial Bridge Illumination Subcommittee also continues to work towards its fund-raising goal of $200,000 to have the New Hampshire Department of Transportation install LED lights to illuminate the new span. to support that effort.

Former Portsmouth mayor Eileen Foley also accepted the New Hampshire Department of Transportation's invitation to the cut the ribbon for the new Memorial Bridge 90 years after she cut the ribbon of the first Memorial Bridge in 1923 when she was five years old.