Million Dollar Bridge (Maine)
| Million Dollar Bridge | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Million Dollar Bridge behind the then-under-construction Casco Bay Bridge. | |
| Coordinates | 43°38′41″N 70°15′24″W / 43.644647°N 70.25656°WCoordinates: 43°38′41″N 70°15′24″W / 43.644647°N 70.25656°W |
| Carries |
 SR 77 and pedestrians |
| Crosses | Fore River |
| Locale | Portland, Maine |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Girder Bascule |
| Clearance below | 24 feet (7.3 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1916 |
| Closed | 1998 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 30,000 vehicles per day |
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.
Permits to construct the Million Dollar Bridge were issued by the Secretary of War in 1893. The bridge was designed in 1914 and opened to traffic in 1916. The bascule span provided a horizontal clearance of 100 ft (30.5 m). Originally owned by Cumberland County, the bridge was transferred to the Maine Department of Transportation in 1959.
In 1993, construction began on the higher Casco Bay Bridge; the new bridge is on a new alignment just east of the original bridge, and is also a bascule bridge. 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. The Casco Bay Bridge opened in 1997.
External links
- Post-Accident report by the National Transportation Safety Board after September 27, 1996 accident
