Date: September 20, 2017
Contact: Christie Anastasia, 207-288-8806
BAR HARBOR, MAINE - The Duck Brook Bridge will be closed to all travel on Tuesday September 26, from 6-8 am. Access to the Witch Hole Pond area carriage roads will still be available from Hulls Cove Visitor Center and the Eagle Lake parking lots. The closure is from carriage road intersection #5 to Duck Brook Road, roughly 200 feet in length.
This summer, work on the Duck Brook Bridge partially focused on understanding the movement of the stones capping off the parapet of the bridge. These stones have been sliding out of place over time. An experimental treatment is being tried on the cap stones of the southwest side of the bridge. Three stones will be set with stainless steel pins set in epoxy with the other stones mortared in place. This is a trial treatment being implemented on a small section of the bridge to see what works best to prevent the movement of the stones while still preserving the historic fabric of the bridge. The cap stones were initially removed without a bridge closure but heavy equipment is necessary for their return to the parapet. A crane truck will be used on Tuesday to reset the two stones with pins and remove other stones to complete the treatment. The bridge will be closed again if a few weeks to reset these additional stones. The temporary bridge closure is to protect the safety of those visiting the carriage roads and those working on the bridge deck. Each stone weighs over 1,500 pounds.
The Duck Brook Bridge was completed in 1929 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Easily reached from Duck Brook Road this bridge is especially known for its triple arch over Duck Brook, gravel surfaced deck, and semi-circular viewing balconies on both sides. Acadia National Park protects nationally significant cultural resources including the finest example of a historic carriage road system in the United States.
