KITTERY, Maine (AP) _ For at least a year, Maine officials have been arguing with a construction company over who should bear the blame and the costs for a delay in the opening of a long-awaited bridge.

The new Sarah Mildred Long Bridge connecting Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine, was set to open Friday, about seven months after the initial target date.

According to emails and letters obtained by the Portland Press Herald, Maine officials told the construction company, Cianbro, that the delays were leading to rumors that the bridge was a “$158 million lemon.” The letter said officials were “extremely troubled” by the wait and were considering reassessing the company’s role in the project.

Cianbro says the state provided “incomplete and inaccurate” designs, leading to a number of changes.