News Release

National Park Service and Federal Highways Administration begin rehabilitation of historic bridges at Acadia National Park

Date: January 12, 2024
Contact: Amanda Pollock, 207-288-8806

BAR HARBOR, MAINE – In partnership with the National Park Service, the Federal Highways Administration will begin the rehabilitation of Jordan Pond Road bridge in March 2024. The historic bridge is in the village of Seal Harbor (Town of Mount Desert) and carries Jordan Pond Road over the park’s carriage road between Day Mountain and Stanley Brook Bridge.

During construction, traffic will be detoured through the park via Stanley Brook Road until Memorial Day weekend when alternating one-way traffic on Jordan Pond Road will be possible. Vehicles exceeding 10 feet 4 inches in height will be detoured along other routes.

In addition to the Jordan Pond Road bridge, the next bridge to be rehabilitated will be the Wildwood Entrance bridge, which is pending funding. This bridge carries the Park Loop Road over an abandoned carriage road in the park near Wildwood Stables.

The bridges have a concrete substructure with granite facing. Over time, cracks develop in the joints of the bridge, which allow water to seep inside the structure. This causes the interior concrete structure and drainage system to deteriorate over time. The work will involve removing the granite facing to expose the substructure and coating it with waterproof sealant. The rehabilitation will help maintain the structural integrity of the bridges for decades to come.

FHWA is funding the project through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58, also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”), which is a once-in-a-generation investment in our infrastructure that will help grow the economy, enhance U.S. competitiveness, create good jobs, and build our safe, resilient, and equitable transportation future.