UPDATE: Sarah Long Bridge Reopens

UPDATE, 4:40 p.m.: The New Hampshire Department of Transportation just Tweeted that the Sarah Long Bridge has reopened.

UPDATE, 3:45 p.m.: We just heard from DOT spokesman Bill Boynton, who said it was an electrical problem with the gate system that caused today's closure of the Sarah Long Bridge.

Specifically, he said, it was a problem with the inside gate closest to the lift span on the Kittery, Maine side of the bridge. The problem was first noticed at 11:40 a.m. He said crews are still trouble-shooting and aren't exactly sure what caused the circuit breaker to trip on that gate, but it may have been weather related.

As of 3:30 p.m., Boynton said crews were plowing the bridge and preparing to reopen it to traffic shortly.

An earlier story follows:

The Sarah Long Bridge on the Route 1 Bypass in Portsmouth is closed to traffic, according to the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

The news went out minutes ago in a Tweet from the DOT. No reason was given for the closure. The same bridge was due to an electrical problem affecting the gates.

Joe McKinley, a DOT bridge worker, said the bridge is closed due to a gate issue due to ice buildup from today's storm. There is no word at this time how long the bridge might remain closed.

With the Memorial Bridge under construction, the Interstate 95 bridge is the only way to cross the Piscataqua River from Portsmouth to Kittery, Maine right now.

Portsmouth Patch will have more on this story as it develops.