Despite its eligibility, the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) has initiated the building of a new bridge that will replace the deteriorating Frank J.

[5] The bridge was made from 1,500 short tons (1,400 t) of steel,[5] as well as concrete, and was originally constructed with tram rails twenty feet apart.

However, The great flood of 1936, encapsulating all of New England, destroyed part of the bridge,[7] but it was rebuilt and at full operating capacity by September of the same year.

[11] On December 16, 1985, Harry C. Crooker and Sons, a construction company, along with other contractors, staged a protest on the bridge, objecting to the long lines of traffic that often accumulated.

The protest consisted of one hundred and thirty dump trucks and flatbeds crossing over the bridge in a line that went on for 4 miles (6.4 km).

The plaintiffs of the suit asked the court for an injunction to halt the construction of a new bridge until the state complies with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970.

[16] On March 8, 2021 the three organizations from the 2019 lawsuit filed an appeal to the initial ruling,[17] citing the bridge's eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places.

[20] In January 2023, the state again concluded that it would be cheaper to build a new bridge[21] and started the process for construction companies to bid for the job.

[24] In January 2024, Judge Lance Walker once again ruled in favor of the state, allowing the construction of the replacement to continue.

Eligibility is determined by how important it is to local transportation, specifically because it's connected to regional interurban trolley lines.

"[25] In 2015, an inspection of the bridge revealed that both the deck and superstructure had deteriorated,[26] resulting in a reduction of the structural load to 25 short tons (23 t).

Another inspection in 2021 revealed that the bridge was deteriorating faster than expected, leading to a further reduction of the structural load to 10 short tons (9.1 t) by MaineDOT.

Wood Bridge is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, MaineDOT has determined it needs replacement.

Wood bridge, closer to the dam at Pejepscot Falls, have bicycle lanes, pedestrian sidewalks, a viewing area, and public parks on both sides.