VERONA ISLAND — Everyone needs a little help now and again, and the demolition team working to remove the Waldo-Hancock Bridge is no exception.

Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) spokesman Ted Talbot said three cranes are being brought in to help remove larger pieces of the bridge as the demolition progresses.

The cranes will be brought in along the Penobscot River on barges constructed in Brewer. Barge construction is currently under way. The tentative date for the crane placement is early February.

Talbot said the schedule has been going according to plan, even with the snowstorms and bitter cold the crews have encountered.

Talbot said the crews understand the risks and challenges they face working on the bridge, and they act accordingly.

While some residents of both Verona Island and Prospect are sad to see the bridge go, the towns will not forget the bridge’s history. Part of that history includes the two flagpoles removed this past November. They are in the process of being cleaned up, and will be returned to the towns.

Then the towns will decide what to do with the poles, including placement and if there will be additional structures built around the poles.

For more of the latest news, pick up a copy of The Ellsworth American.