Officials are taking measures to ensure electrical failures like the one that kept the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge in the raised position for more than six weeks do not happen again.

The Interstate Bridge Authority, which manages the Route 1 Bypass bridge that stretches across the Piscataqua River from Portsmouth to Kittery, recently approved a permanent solution to the problem.

The N.H. Department of Transportation worked with the Maine D.O.T. and the Interstate Bridge Authority to come up with strategies that include replacing existing DC motors with 100 horsepower AC motors and installing backup motors.

Power for motors on the north end of the bridge will be provided from the Maine side, eliminating the need for cables that run through the river. An electrical building to house motor drives, a motor control center, and a standby generator will also be constructed on the Maine side of the river. 

The bridge initially failed on Oct. 28 and remained closed to traffic until Dec. 15. Crews made temporary repairs using a spare electrical cable from the Maine Department of Transportation, but it was not intended to be a long-term solution.

The estimated $1.5 million project will begin after a three-month design phase and is slated for completion in October.