BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 9, 2023
The Department of Transportation announced plans Tuesday to rebuild, rather than replace, a controversial dike that carries Route 1 over the Middle River in Machias. Meanwhile, the aging structure is deteriorating quickly, forcing the DOT to make temporary repairs. The so-called dike bridge is equipped with culverts and valves that block tidal flow and fish migrations into the river. As it has deteriorated, salmon advocates and federal regulators had hoped to see it replaced by a bridge. But some upstream landowners objected, and want the dike to be rebuilt instead.