Fixing the Sarah Long Bridge, Is it Worth It?

Long before the Harbour Feature tanker slammed into the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge in April or a January cold snap froze the bridge's middle lift span, several Portsmouth area residents have questioned the span's overall safety.

Before the former Memorial Bridge was permanently closed in July 2011, the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge sat in the number 2 position on the New Hampshire Department of Transportation's "red list" bridges and jumped to number 1 after the Memorial Bridge closed.

Now as New Hampshire Department of Transportation crews and workers with Cianbro Corp. work to repair the structural damage caused by the Harbour Feature tanker on April 1, some Portsmouth area residents question whether this is the best course. The state agency said the bridge sustained $2.5 million in damage from the tanker and will be closed until May 25.

"Since it appears the lift mechanism on the Sarah Long bridge is still functioning normally but motor vehicle traffic is banned, why not make use of the bridge for bicycles and pedestrians? A bicycle route between Kittery and Portsmouth is sorely needed until the Memorial bridge opens and it would appear the Long bridge may be just a short term solution needed until the Memorial bridge is completed," commented Calvin Weis earlier this month.

Currently, the state and Maine department of transportation want the Harbour Feature's shipping company to repay them $2.5 million via a lawsuit in U.S. District Court as they repair the current span. The new $172 million Sarah Mildred Long Bridge is scheduled to be built in 2015.

Officials with the state transportation agency vehemently disagree that closing the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge permanently to motor vehicle traffic is the right move.

"The NHDOT believes that repairing and reopening the Long Bridge as soon as possible is the prudent course of action for the benefit of the Seacoast region.  While the bridge is nearing the end of its useful life, we are still looking to keep it open hopefully until a new bridge can be built," wrote Bill Boynton, the state agency's public information officer, in an e-mail.

He also noted that previous studies have shown the importance of having three bridges that serve New Hampshire and Maine open as much as possible. The bridge also includes a rail line that serves the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, that has to be maintained, he said.

"Not sure how keeping the Long Bridge closed would help 'the sake of public safety.' If the bridge is unsafe, we would close it," Boynton wrote.

Even if the state agency chose to permanently close the Sarah Long bridge to motor vehicle traffic until a new span is constructed, Boynton pointed out the lift span would still have to be removed to accommodate marine traffic and that would cost a great deal of money.

What do you think? Should the New Hampshire Department of Transportation repair the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge to motor vehicle traffic despite public safety concerns or would the state agency be better off leaving it closed until a new bridge is built?