MDOT outlines Oceanville bridge replacement options; Selectmen weigh municipal costs for granite facing

MDOT engineers told Stonington Selectmen the Oceanville bridge’s northern piling is compromised and presented several replacement options and aesthetic choices, including granite facing that would require a municipal match.

Andrew Lathe of the Maine Department of Transportation and engineering partner Jaime French said the northern piling is not on bedrock and that the foundation material complicates repair. The engineers discussed replacing the structure and addressed questions about restoring the traditional granite-facing appearance at the approaches. Lathe said a municipal agreement could cover 50% of a granite facing restoration, a cost the materials and proposals put at roughly $200,000 total (about $100,000 municipal share) for the stonework.

Residents and Selectmen asked about alternatives such as using concrete or one-lane designs with traffic signals. Audience members also asked whether concrete could be used to shore pilings; MDOT said options are limited when bedrock is not present and emphasized geotechnical constraints. Lathe offered to meet on site with Selectmen and abutters and supply more detailed cost estimates; the board indicated it would gather community feedback before deciding whether to pursue a municipal agreement for stone aesthetics or to accept a lower-cost finish.

The Oceanville project also intersected with broader causeway and replacement planning: Selectmen and TM Billings referenced ongoing coordination with state and federal partners on a peninsula causeway study and with the congressional delegation on funding for a separate causeway planning grant.

No municipal funding commitment for the Oceanville bridge was made at the meetings summarized here; the Selectmen asked MDOT for follow-up information and a site visit.