The town of Boothbay Harbor announced June 23, the Footbridge Renovation Project is not yet finished. According to Town Manager Julia Latter, construction is near completion, but the town is not ready to announce an opening date. 

“Safety was the big decision today," Latter said, adding she did not want to put anyone at risk.

The town announced the delay on its website and in a Facebook post: “While the construction crew have worked tirelessly, completion of the cable railings and lighting has not yet occurred. Options were discussed, but all were either not possible due to time constraints, or would not provide an assurance of safety. The safety of the public is our primary concern. While unlikely, accidents can happen, and the Town of Boothbay Harbor would not want to risk having an incident occur that could overshadow our longstanding Windjammer Days’ event. So, in the interest of prudence and caution, the footbridge will remain closed until the railings are complete. We encourage everyone to visit the site from either end of the bridge, appreciate the hard work of those building the bridge, as well as the commitment of our community to ensure generations beyond will be able to enjoy our harbor, and have a safe and enjoyable weekend.” 

The project, which voters approved in late January, had originally been scheduled to be completed in the spring. A series of unforeseen complications around utilities, easements and weather pushed completion back, according to Latter. However, she said the builders, Fuller Marine Services, “have done a wonderful job keeping up the momentum.”

Latter said the town is planning a soft opening soon and a grand opening later in the summer to show off the final product. 

“The craftsmanship has been wonderful, the quality of work has been top notch, and the improvements were drastically needed," she said.