Now’s the time to take one last walk over the rusted expanse of Memorial Bridge. The 88-year-old structure will close to pedestrians and cyclists on Monday, Jan. 9 at 8 a.m., according to the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

That same day, a free shuttle service will be operating to carry pedestrians and cyclists between downtown Portsmouth and Kittery, Maine, starting at 5 a.m.

In the meantime, the DOT is conducting a survey to gauge demand for the shuttle service. A booth set up on the Portsmouth side of the bridge invites people to answer questions about how often they use the bridge and how they cross it. Boynton said about 150 people had taken the survey within the first two days it was available.

Depending on the results, the DOT could modify its plans for the shuttle service. Current plans call for a van that will carry up to 12 passengers and six bicycles between the two communities every hour from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Many community members feel that level of service will not be sufficient to meet demand.

Memorial Bridge, a steel truss vertical lift bridge, closed to motor vehicle traffic in July. Archer Western Contractors will undertake the $81.4 million project of replacing it with a new structure, scheduled to open by July 2013.

The DOT will host an “open house” to discuss the construction project and the design of the new bridge on Thursday, Jan. 12, from 4 to 8 p.m., at Portsmouth City Hall. Representatives from the DOT and the design-build team will be present. The DOT will also be setting up a shuttle hotline and project website soon.