I drive over the Casco Bay Bridge at least twice a day, and I usually travel unharassed because the bridge is down. That will change starting today and continuing through March 5th, because beginning March 1st, Florida Drawbridges, Inc. will take over the operation of the Casco Bay Bridge. Today training begins for the new operators, so the bridge will be going up and down, up and down. The openings are expected to last about 7 minutes each and the bridge won't be raised during the busiest travel times of 7-9 a.m. and 3:30-6 p.m..

When F.D.I. advertised the position on Craigslist, I was a little nervous when I saw the words, "no experience required". Over 32,000 vehicles (including mine) travel across the bridge every day. I would have felt a bit more comfortable if the ad had read, "experienced candidates only, please". But that's just me. These are part-time positions, with multiple operators working 3 or 4 shifts per week. Their 3 weeks of training includes 8 hours of classroom time, and instruction about Coast Guard and state regulations regarding safe drawbridge operating procedures.

Make your traveling less stressful by signing up for FREE email alerts sent out by the Maine Department of Transportation when the bridge goes up.

See you on the Veteran's Bridge.

Celeste

 

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