Bridges in New Hampshire, carrying traffic between the city of Dover and township of Newington
Little Bay Bridge
View in November 2019 between the Ruth L. Griffin Bridge and General Sullivan Bridge, with underside of the 1984 Capt. John F. Rowe Bridge at the far left
Former, though all vehicles must pay Spauling Turnpike toll
Location
The Little Bay Bridge (occasionally referred to in the plural) refers to one or more bridges that carry road traffic across the mouth of Little Bay where it meets the Piscataqua River, between the city of Dover and the town of Newington in New Hampshire. The term has been in use since at least 1933.[3]
The first Little Bay Bridge was a covered bridge that was made up of two spectate segments, one for wagons and mobile transportation, and one for railroad tracks. It opened to wagon traffic in December 1873 when partially completed,[5] and began carrying rail traffic in February 1874 when it was fully completed.[5] It was also a for profit toll bridge.[6][dead link]
In 1888, the bridge was closed for repairs, the first of many it would receive.[6]
Circa 1918, rocks were placed on the bridges piers after it had been discovered they suffered from ice created sccour.[6]
In 1928, construction began on a replacement of the functionally obsolete and structural challenged bridge.[6] It was completed in 1934,[5][7] and was dedicated that year on September 5.[8] It lies approximately 100 yards (91m) south of the 1873–74 bridge.[5] It cost US$1 million to build ($22.8million in 2023), and in early 1935 was named the "General John Sullivan Memorial Bridge" (commonly known as the General Sullivan Bridge) in honor of John Sullivan, a Revolutionary Wargeneral from nearby Somersworth.[9][10] At this point, the original bridge was closed and slated for demolition, and after roughly 61 years of service, the original bridge was fully deconstructed by February 1935.[11]
On November 1, 1949, the bridge's toll was removed, as the bonds that required them were fully paid off.[12]
In 1950, significant repairs were made to the bridge.[13]
When built through the area, the Spaulding Turnpike was routed over the bridge in 1956.[14] However, knowing its two laned roadway as a highly likely bottleneck, a second span was to be built in the future.[6]
On September 28, 1966,[15] the Eastern Turnpike Bridge,[6] a two-lane girder bridge that costed US$3 million ($28.2million in 2023), was opened. Upon its opening, the existing General Sullivan Bridge was converted to serving southbound traffic only;[16] this doubled the capacity of the crossing from what it was prior.[7]
View looking south from Dover Point. From left; the 1984 and 1966 spans of the Capt. John F. Rowe Bridge, and the General Sullivan Bridge. Photo taken in 2006, prior to construction of the Ruth L. Griffin Bridge between the bridges shown.
In 1984, the Capt. John F. Rowe Bridge, named after merchantJohn Rowe, was completed. It was a new twin of the Rowe Bridge to carry northbound traffic. Southbound traffic was moved onto the 1966 bridge, and the General Sullivan Bridge was repurposed as a pedestrian walkway; this made it a highly popular fishing spot in the area.[17][18]
A Warning sign on the General Sullivan Bridge, as seen in March 2013
In 2010, fencing was installed on the General Sullivan Bridge to warn pedestrians about a new capacity limit enacted onto specific areas, this was done due to concerns about the bridge's poor structural condition.[7] That next year, the bridge was repaired,[7] and the Dover approach was rebuilt into a curved ramp to allow construction.[7]
The General Sullivan Bridge in June 2013, with the Ruth L. Griffin Bridge under construction (yellow crane)
The Little Bay Bridge and its access roads on the Dover and Newington banks had been prone to traffic congestion during morning and afternoon rush hours. The New Hampshire DOT planned a comprehensive improvement of the area.[19] All three bridges were under scrutiny, with four options considered.[20] Three called for expansion of the Little Bay Bridge to six or eight lanes and restoration of the General Sullivan as both a pedestrian/bicycle way and alternative for buses and overflow traffic. The fourth would have replaced all three spans with an eight lane bridge. Ultimately, a second span was chosen however. Work on a new bridge began circa 2011, and was completed in November 2013[21] to temporarily ease traffic congestion across the Rowe bridge. It is physically located between the original Rowe and General Sullivan Bridge. Once the Griffin bridge was completed, all traffic from the Rowe bridge was moved to it, so both of the Rowe bridges could be closed for renovations and replacement of the divided decks with a unified road deck. Renovations were completed in November 2015, although the Rowe bridge remained closed for several years due to significant realignment work on the nearby U.S. Route 4 interchange.[21]
In 2015, the mid-section of the General Sullivan Bridge was closed off due to worsening condition, this rendered the bridge functionally obsolete.[7]
In September 2018, the General Sullivan Bridge was permanently closed for all uses, due to safety concerns that it was unsound.[25]
Two lanes of Northbound traffic returned to the newly rebuilt Rowe bridge in December 2018.[26]
The third northbound lane on the Rowe Bridge was opened on May 23, 2019.[27]
All four lanes of the Griffin bridge were opened to southbound traffic on July 20, 2019.[28]
A non-motorized multi-use path was opened on the northbound shoulder in August 2019.[4]
On April 21, 2020, a new lane pattern was established on the Griffin Bridge.[29]
A new mergeing pattern onto the Rowe bridge, better enabling traffic from U.S. Route 4 and the Spaulding Turnpike to utilize the four lanes, went into effect in April 2020.[30]
By June 2020, the project was substantially completed, with the shoulders and signage being finalized. [31]
Future
While the General Sullivan Bridge "is nationally significant... as an early and highly influential example of continuous truss highway design in the United States", its future is uncertain.[32] The Coast Guard regards it as a navigation hazard and favors its removal.[19] Bridge proponents cite its eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.[19] As of July 2018, restored pedestrian and bicycle access to the bridge was planned for the summer of 2022.[21] As of January 2020, "the state’s plan now is to build a new bridge on the existing piers".[33] The new bridge was expected to be a 16-foot-wide (4.9m) multi-use path.[32]
In February 2023, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NH DOT) estimated the cost of replacing the original bridge with a 9-foot-wide (2.7m) bicycle and pedestrian walkway at $34.8 million, with a 2026 completion date.[34] In June 2023, $20 million was allocated for the project from the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.[34] In August 2023, NH DOT put the General Sullivan Bridge up for sale, but did not receive any offers.[34] In September 2023, bidding for the replacement project came in at over $80 million, potentially delaying efforts.[34]
Northbound traffic will likely be expanded to use four lanes of the Rowe bridge; this would require removal of the pedestrian walkway.[26]
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The highway largely parallels the Atlantic coast and US 1, except for the portion between Savannah, Georgia, and Washington, D.C., and the portion between Portland and Houlton in Maine, both of which follow a more direct inland route.
The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May north to the New York state line at Montvale. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State". The parkway has an unsigned reference number of Route 444 by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). At its north end, the road becomes the Garden State Parkway Connector, a component of the New York State Thruway system that connects to the Thruway mainline in Ramapo.
The Seacoast Region is the southeast area of the U.S. state of New Hampshire that is centered around the city of Portsmouth. It includes the eastern portion of Rockingham County and the southern portion of Strafford County. At its narrowest definition, the region stretches 13 miles (21 km) along the Atlantic Ocean from New Hampshire's border with Salisbury, Massachusetts, to the Piscataqua River and New Hampshire's border with Kittery, Maine. The shoreline alternates between rocky and rough headlands and areas with sandy beaches. Some of the beaches are bordered by jetties or groins, particularly in the towns of Rye and Hampton. Most definitions of the Seacoast Region includes some inland towns as well, including the Great Bay area cities of Dover and Rochester, the college town of Durham, and areas as far west as Epping. Some definitions also include nearby portions of York County, Maine that are culturally aligned with the Portsmouth area rather than the Portland, Maine metropolitan area.
Interstate 295 (I-295) in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, designated as a bypass around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a partial beltway of Trenton, New Jersey.
The Spaulding Turnpike is a 33.2-mile (53.4 km) controlled-access toll road in eastern New Hampshire. Nearly its entire length is overlapped by New Hampshire Route 16. Its southern terminus is at the Portsmouth Traffic Circle in Portsmouth, a terminus it shares with U.S. Route 4 and NH 16. Its northern terminus is at an interchange with New Hampshire Route 125 in Milton, where NH 16 continues north as a surface road.
New Hampshire Route 16 is a 154.771-mile (249.080 km), north–south state highway in New Hampshire, United States, the main road connecting the Seacoast region to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains. Much of its length is close to the border with Maine. The section from Portsmouth to Milton is a controlled-access toll highway known as the Spaulding Turnpike. Between Milton and Chocorua, and between Conway and Glen, it is known as the White Mountain Highway. It is known as Chocorua Mountain Highway between Chocorua and Conway and various other local names before crossing into Maine about 20 miles (32 km) south of the Canadian border. Portions of NH 16 run concurrent with U.S. Route 4 (US 4), US 202, NH 25, and US 302, and US 2.
New Hampshire Route 101 is a state-maintained highway in southern New Hampshire extending from Keene to Hampton Beach. It is the major east–west highway in the southern portion of the state. Most of its eastern portion is a major freeway linking the greater Manchester area to the Seacoast Region. At 95.189 miles (153.192 km) in length, NH 101 nearly spans the entire width of southern New Hampshire.
Interstate 393 (I-393) is a 4.6-mile (7.4 km) east–west auxiliary Interstate Highway extending from I-93 at Concord to Pembroke, New Hampshire. The primary purpose of the road is to bypass a densely built commercial strip on New Hampshire Route 9 (NH 9) in the eastern part of Concord. Several times a year, I-393 also serves traffic to events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. I-393 runs concurrently with US Route 4 (US 4) and US 202 for its entire length.
New Hampshire Route 108 is a 42.430-mile-long (68.284 km) north–south state highway in Rockingham and Strafford counties in southeastern New Hampshire. The southern terminus of NH 108 is at the Massachusetts state line in Plaistow. The northern terminus is at an intersection with New Hampshire Route 125 and New Hampshire Route 202A in downtown Rochester.
Interstate 95 (I-95) is an Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, connecting Florida to Maine. Within the state of New Hampshire, it serves the Seacoast Region and is a toll road named the Blue Star Turnpike or New Hampshire Turnpike. The 16.11-mile (25.93 km) turnpike is maintained by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) Bureau of Turnpikes and has a single toll plaza near Hampton.
U.S. Route 1 Bypass is a 4.3-mile-long (6.9 km) bypass of U.S. Route 1 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine. Most of its north section, northeast of the Portsmouth Traffic Circle where it meets the Blue Star Turnpike and Spaulding Turnpike, is built to rudimentary freeway standards, with no cross traffic but driveway access. The southern portion is similarly constructed, although there are two four-way intersections with traffic lights just south of the circle and a third at its south end, just before intersecting with US 1.
The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge is a lift bridge spanning the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine, carrying traffic of U.S. Route 1 Bypass. An original bridge by the same name was in operation from 1940 until 2016. A replacement span opened in March 2018.
The Mall at Fox Run, formerly Fox Run Mall, is a shopping mall in Newington, New Hampshire, just north of Portsmouth. Its main anchor stores include JCPenney, Macy's Men's & Home Store and Macy's Women's. At 603,618 square feet (56,077.9 m2), it is New Hampshire's fourth-largest mall, with 84 shops, all on one level. Completed in 1983, this mall functioned mainly as a successor to the smaller and dated Newington Mall, which has since been converted into a big box retail center.
John Rowe (1715–1787) was a property developer and merchant in 18th century Boston, Massachusetts. As a merchant, John Rowe's most famous cargo was the tea that played a starring role in the Boston Tea Party. As a developer, his name is remembered to this day in the name of Rowes Wharf, a modern development in downtown Boston on the site of his original wharf.
The Portsmouth Traffic Circle is a four-point rotary in the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
The Piscataqua River Bridge is a through arch bridge that crosses the Piscataqua River, connecting Portsmouth, New Hampshire with Kittery, Maine, United States. Carrying six lanes of Interstate 95, the bridge is the third modern span and first fixed crossing of the Piscataqua between Portsmouth and Kittery. The two other spans, the Memorial Bridge and the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, are both lift bridges, built to accommodate ship traffic along the Piscataqua. The high arch design of the Piscataqua River Bridge eliminates the need for a movable roadway.
The World War I Memorial Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge that carries U.S. Route 1 across the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Badger's Island in Kittery, Maine, United States. The current bridge was opened in 2013, replacing a bridge of similar design that existed from 1923 to 2012. A large overhead plaque carried over from the original reads "Memorial to the Sailors and Soldiers of New Hampshire who gave their lives in the World War 1917–1919."
U.S. Route 1 (US 1) is a north–south U.S. Route is the U.S. state of New Hampshire through Hampton and Portsmouth. It lies between Interstate 95 (I-95) and New Hampshire Route 1A (NH 1A).
U.S. Route 4 (US 4) in the state of New Hampshire runs for 106.834 miles (171.933 km) across the central and southern part of the state, stretching from Lebanon on the Connecticut River border with Vermont southeast to Portsmouth on the eastern coast.
The Newington Railroad Depot is a historic railroad station on Bloody Point Road in Newington, New Hampshire. Built in 1873, it is an unusual railroad-related structure, serving as a passenger and freight depot, and as the residence of the stationmaster, who also performed the role of toll collector for the nearby bridge. It is the only surviving 19th-century railroad-related structure in Newington. Now vacant and owned by the state, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
US 4 / NH 16 / Spaulding Turnpike, pedestrians and bicycles on the Rowe Bridge
