Federal Official Visits Memorial Bridge Project

PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire - A top federal highway official will pay a visit to the Memorial Bridge this week.

Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez travels to Portsmouth Wednesday to meet with officials from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation and Maine DOT.  He'll get an update on the plans to dismantle the bridge ahead of the construction of a new bridge starting this spring. 

Monday night, the first step in the old bridge's removal takes place when the lift span-the part of the bridge that moves up and down to allow boat traffic to pass underneath-is being removed and lowered onto a barge.