Vital Launches Website for Memorial Bridge Project

Written by: Ellen Stuart

It’s no secret that we love our little city by the sea. Portsmouth is the place Vital calls home, so we were excited to work on the new site for the Memorial Bridge Project.  The new site will allow the N.H. and Maine DOTs to share information and updates about the construction of the new Memorial Bridge, which will replace the original bridge between Portsmouth and Kittery, Maine. For the community, it will be a great resource during the time the bridge is closed.  For us, it was a cool chance to contribute to the next chapter of Portsmouth history.

The site was developed as a place where members of the community can find everything they need to navigate the region during the bridge closure. The process, including demolition of the old bridge and construction of the modern one, is planned to take 18 months, from January 2012 to July 2013. Resources on the site include interactive maps showing alternate routes from Portsmouth to Kittery, and information on shuttles for commuters who relied on the bridge’s pedestrian routes.

“It’s important we keep the communities connected,” said Jennifer Zorn, the project’s public outreach coordinator, who worked with Vital on the new site. “We took great care to add features that allow everyone to be involved and engaged.”

Social media will be an integral part of keeping the community informed during the period of bridge closure. Twitter, Facebook and an email newsletter have all been incorporated into the new site.

“Using social media in our community outreach will allow us to reach the greatest number of people possible,” Zorn said. “We want everyone affected by the bridge closure to have easy access to this information.”

Another part of Zorn’s role as public outreach coordinator will be promoting cultural events and businesses that are affected by the bridge closure.

“We are excited to have the site and the social media accounts up and running in time for Restaurant Week,” Zorn said. “The businesses on both sides of the bridge will be open during the bridge closure—it’s our job to ensure that local residents know that.”

More sections will be added to the site as the project continues, including information about the construction of the new bridge and its progress. To learn more, click on over to the Memorial Bridge Project, and follow the bridge’s progress on the brand spankin’ new Facebook and Twitter pages. (We love that they’re using Timeline to showcase a rendering of the new bridge!)