Covered Bridge Between Gorham and Windham Closed After Truck Falls Through Deck

First, it was trucks that were too tall running into railroad bridges in Westbrook now a covered bridge over the Presumpscot River on Hurricane Road has a giant hole in the deck after an overweight truck tried to cross.

Babb's Bridge is a reconstruction of the covered bridge that spanned the Presumpscot between Gorham and Windham. It was built in the 1800s and destroyed by vandals by setting it on fire in 1973. The bridge was a total loss; a new one was built to the same specs as the old one and opened in 1976.

For nearly 50 years, the new bridge has carried traffic between Gorham and Westbrook, but on Friday, August 23, an overweight dump truck fell through the deck and into the river below.

According to Gorham Police, a Ford F750, operated by Joshua Polewarzyk, was loaded with crushed gravel traveling across the bridge from Gorham into the Town of Windham. The excessive weight caused the wooden floor of the bridge structure to give way. The driver was able to get out of the truck and only had minor injuries.

The weight limit for Babb's Bridge is three tons and the dump truck full of gravel was more than the bridge could handle.

According to WMTW, MaineDOT said that the bridge will be closed for months and that some engineers have never seen anything like this. If you travel on Hurricane Road regularly, you're going to need an alternate route as the bridge will likely be closed for the rest of the year.

Gorham Police say they are looking to speak with anyone who might have seen the accident happen. If you did, call Sergeant Ted Hatch of the Gorham Police Department at 222-1660 X 1.