One of the few covered bridges in Maine that cars can cross has been out of commission for months with a giant hole in it, but repairs have now begun to the damage to re-open it soon.

The History of Babb's Bridge

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Babb's Bridge crosses over the Presumpscot River from Hurricane Road in Windham, Maine to Gorham on the other side. According to Wikipedia, the covered bridge is a single-span queenspost truss bridge, with a length of 79 feet width of 13 feet 9 inches which is just enough to allow one car to pass through it at a time.

It was built in 1976 as a replica of the 19th-century bridge that came before it that was destroyed by arson in 1973.

READ MORE: These 8 Historic Covered Bridges in Maine Date Back as Far as 1840

Six Times Over The Weight Limit

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On August 23, 2024, a dump truck was hauling crushed gravel and was six times over Babbs Bridge's posted weight limit causing it to crash through the bridge deck, leaving a giant hole and other damage in its wake. Luckily, the driver only had minor injuries but got a citation for a "bridge violation, causing damage to the bridge due to excessive weight."

Kevyn Fowler posted a video on his Facebook page showing the damage to the bridge and the truck in the river below from the camera of his drone that he flew through the bridge.

Repairs Underway

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According to WMTW repairs have begun earlier than planned due to the mild weather we've been having lately and the materials arrived earlier than expected allowing crews to start to repair four months earlier than expected and will cost an estimated $110,000.

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