Memorial Bridge Motor Burns Out

UPDATED, 4 p.m.: Representatives of the subcontractor that installed two traffic gate motors that burned out on the Memorial Bridge are scheduled to arrive in the city Tuesday to assess the damage and determine how to fix it, according to Archer Western Contractors officials.

Carol Morris, a spokeswoman for Archer Western Contractors, issued an update on Monday afternoon that  "the safety rail that comes down on each side of the bridge to keep traffic off the bridge when the lift span is up malfunctioned late this weekend during one of the final test runs. It is too soon to say how this will affect the opening schedule for the bridge."

Morris said it is still too early for any of the parties involved to speculate on what repairs will be needed, how long those repairs will take and when the bridge will be open to traffic.
 
"All parties involved will be working non-stop to determine next steps and provide information on timing," she said.

Earlier story: New Hampshire Department of Transportation officials said Monday afternoon that a Memorial Bridge traffic gate motor has burned out and that efforts are being made by the bridge contractor to repair it.

Carol Morris, a spokeswoman for Archer Western Contractors, confirmed Monday afternoon that the traffic gate motor burned out over the weekend, but she stressed that the motors that control the new bridge's middle lift span are not affected.

She could not say if the burned out motor would affect the bridge's opening.
Last week, New Hampshire Department of Transportation officials said the bridge would be open to motor vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic sometime between Aug. 1 and Aug. 8, when a formal ceremony to mark the opening of the new $89.4 million span is scheduled.

According to Jennifer Zorn, a spokeswoman for the New Hampshire DOT, Archer Western Contractors will provide more information on the situation involving the traffic gate motor when it becomes available.

Bill Boynton, NHDOT public information officer, said representatives from the subcontractor that provided the two affected motors will be on scene to help Archer Western Contractors determine what needs to be done.

"This is adding time to the final testing and operator training that has to take place before the NHDOT will accept the bridge from the contractor on behalf of the state. Exactly how much time… or when the bridge will be opened to traffic is not known. We remain focused on the tasks at hand to getting to the primary objective of opening the new bridge for public use six months earlier than other proposals," wrote Boynton in an e-mail.