Million Dollar Bridge (Maine)

The Million Dollar Bridge was a bascule bridge built in 1916 which carried traffic on Route 77 over the Fore River in Maine between Portland and South Portland.[1]

Million Dollar Bridge
The Million Dollar Bridge behind the then-under-construction Casco Bay Bridge.
Coordinates43.644647°N 70.25656°W / 43.644647; -70.25656
Carries SR 77 and pedestrians
CrossesFore River
LocalePortland, Maine
Characteristics
DesignGirder Bascule
Clearance below24 feet (7.3 m)
History
Opened1916
Closed1998
Statistics
Daily traffic30,000 vehicles per day

Permits to construct the Million Dollar Bridge were issued by the Secretary of War in 1893.[1] The bridge was designed in 1914 and opened to traffic in 1916.[1] The bascule span provided a horizontal clearance of 100 ft (30 m).[1] Originally owned by Cumberland County, the bridge was transferred to the Maine Department of Transportation in 1959.[1]

In 1993, construction began on Casco Bay Bridge, a replacement for the Million Dollar Bridge.[1] The Casco Bay Bridge is a higher bascule bridge, with an alignment just east of the Million Dollar Bridge.[1] During construction of the new bridge, the Million Dollar Bridge was hit by the Liberian Tankship Julie N. on September 27, 1996, and emergency repairs were made.[1] The Casco Bay Bridge opened in 1997.[2]

References
  1. Post accident testing for alcohol and other drugs in the marine industry and the ramming of the Portland-South Portland (Million Dollar) bridge at Portland, Maine, by the Liberian tankship Julie N on September 27, 1996 | Special Investigation Report (Report). National Transportation Safety Board. 1998. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  2. Collins, Kate Irish (5 November 2015). "State's plans for Casco Bay Bridge raising red flags". Press Herald. Retrieved 26 May 2020.

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