Memorial Bridge (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)

Last updated
World War I Memorial Bridge
Memorial Bridge (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) April 2016.JPG
The new Memorial Bridge
Coordinates 43°04′46″N70°45′09″W / 43.07938°N 70.75255°W / 43.07938; -70.75255
CarriesUS 1.svg US 1 USBR 1.svg USBR 1
Crosses Piscataqua River
Locale Portsmouth, NH and
Kittery, ME
ID number 021702470008400 [1]
Characteristics
Design Vertical-lift bridge
Total length366.1 m (1,201 ft)
Width8.5 m (27.9 ft)
Longest span91.5 m (300 ft)
Clearance below 39.6 m (129.9 ft) (Lift span open)
History
OpenedAugust 8, 2013
Statistics
TollNone
Location
Memorial Bridge (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)

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."

Contents

The lift span can be fully opened to allow large commercial vessels to pass. During summer, the lift section remains partially elevated every half-hour between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. for about 15 minutes. This allows smaller commercial and recreational boat traffic. The bridge is currently the only one of the three Piscataqua River bridges with provisions for pedestrians. New Hampshire and Maine designated the bridge as part of their State Bicycle Routes, and the bridge is part of the proposed East Coast Greenway. [2]

History

Constructed between 1920 and 1923, the original Memorial Bridge was the first without toll to span the Piscataqua between Portsmouth and Kittery. The bridge was constructed as a joint venture between the states of Maine and New Hampshire and the federal government, and dedicated as a World War I memorial. [3] At the bridge's dedication on August 17, 1923, five-year old Eileen Foley—known then by her birth name, Helen Dondero [3] —cut the ceremonial silk ribbon to officially open it to traffic. [4] Foley would later serve as mayor of Portsmouth for eight terms (1968–1971, 1984–1985 and 1988–1997). [4] Foley tied a blue ribbon onto the bridge's plaque for the closing ceremony on October 1, 2011. [5] On August 8, 2013, she returned to dedicate the replacement bridge, 90 years after the opening of the original bridge. [4] She died in February 2016. [4] Because of the condition of the bridge, vehicles weighing more than 20 tons were prohibited. This restriction was lowered to 10 tons on July 10, 2009. [6] A rehabilitation project for the bridge was planned for 2009, pending funding. The project was expected to last two years and cost more than $30 million. [7] It was expected that the federal government would cover 80% of the cost. The rest would have been split between Maine and New Hampshire.[ citation needed ] The Memorial Bridge rehabilitation project was placed on hold in 2009 because the winning bid for the contract came in $15 million over the intended budget. [8] This stalled rehabilitation project together with proposals to demolish and replace the bridge were factors in the inclusion of the bridge in the National Trust for Historic Preservation list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2009. [9]

Originally, the road over the bridge was part of New England Interstate Route 1, also known as the Atlantic Highway. When the New England routes were superseded by the United States Numbered Highways in 1926 it was redesignated as US 1.

Emergency repairs caused a month long closure in October–November 2009, [10] and a ten-day one in December 2010. [11] Plans for replacement continued to move forward. [12]

The bridges walkway was designated as US Bicycle Route 1 in May, 2011 as part the first major expansion of the United States Bicycle Route System since its creation in the 1980s. [13]

The old bridge, seen from Prescott Park in Portsmouth Portsmouth Memorial Bridge 01.jpg
The old bridge, seen from Prescott Park in Portsmouth

On July 27, 2011, the Memorial Bridge was permanently closed. An inspection cited "too many problems in too many places." On January 3, 2012, the NHDOT announced that the bridge would be further closed to pedestrians and cyclists on January 9, 2012. The NHDOT operated an hourly shuttle bus between Portsmouth and Kittery until the new bridge was complete. [14] The center span of the bridge was demolished on February 8, 2012. [6] [15]

On May 6, 2010, the Senate Transportation Committee of the New Hampshire legislature unanimously voted to include $44 million in bonds that, in addition to other state and federal funds, would allow the Memorial Bridge to be replaced without further funding from Maine, which is half-owner of the bridge. [16] This plan was contingent on approval by the full legislature, an agreement with the State of Maine, and availability of federal stimulus funds. [16] George Campbell, commissioner of the NHDOT, said at a Portsmouth City Council meeting in 2010 that the bridge was too far beyond repair for rehabilitation. [16] Original bridge piers would be reused. The replacement would look similar to the original span. The bridge was designed by Theodore Zoli of HNTB and built by Archer Western Contractors.[ citation needed ]

The new bridge was officially dedicated at a ceremony on the New Hampshire side of the span just before noon on August 8, 2013. [4] The bridge initially opened to only pedestrians and bicyclists. The new bridge—constructed over two still existing piers—opened to vehicular traffic at 2:00 p.m., first with southbound traffic (Maine to New Hampshire), and then northbound. Additional work on the new bridge was finished in November 2013. [17]

On the night of February 25, 2022, the bridge was lit in the colors of the Ukrainian Flag in a show of solidarity with the people of Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. [18]

Original bridge

Replacement bridge

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 93</span> Interstate Highway in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont in the United States

Interstate 93 (I-93) is an Interstate Highway in the New England states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont in the United States. Spanning approximately 190 miles (310 km) along a north–south axis, it is one of three primary Interstate Highways located entirely within New England; the other two are I-89 and I-91. The largest cities along the route are Boston, and Manchester, New Hampshire; it also travels through the New Hampshire state capital of Concord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eliot, Maine</span> Town in Maine, United States

Eliot is a town in York County, Maine, United States. Originally settled in 1623, it was formerly a part of Kittery, to its east. After Kittery, it is the next most southern town in the state of Maine, lying on the Piscataqua River across from Portsmouth and Newington, New Hampshire. The population was 6,717 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kittery Point, Maine</span> Census-designated place in Maine, United States

Kittery Point is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Kittery, York County, Maine, United States. First settled in 1623, Kittery Point traces its history to the first seafarers who colonized the shore of what became Massachusetts Bay Colony and later the State of Maine. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, it is home to Fort McClary State Historic Site, and Fort Foster Park on Gerrish Island. Cutts Island is home to Seapoint Beach and the Brave Boat Harbor Division of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kittery, Maine</span> Town in the state of Maine, United States

Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States, and the oldest incorporated town in Maine. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals. The southernmost town in the state, it is a tourist destination known for its many outlet stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piscataqua River</span> River in Maine and New Hampshire, United States

The Piscataqua River is a 12-mile-long (19 km) tidal river forming the boundary of the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Maine from its origin at the confluence of the Salmon Falls River and Cochecho River to the Atlantic Ocean. The drainage basin of the river is approximately 1,495 square miles (3,870 km2), including the subwatersheds of the Great Works River and the five rivers flowing into Great Bay: the Bellamy, Oyster, Lamprey, Squamscott, and Winnicut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seacoast Region (New Hampshire)</span>

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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 95 in Maine</span> Section of Interstate Highway in Maine, United States

Interstate 95 (I-95) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs north–south from Miami, Florida to Houlton, Maine. The highway enters Maine from the New Hampshire state line in Kittery and runs for 303 miles (488 km) to the Canada–United States border at Houlton. It is the only primary Interstate Highway in Maine. In 2004, the highway's route between Portland and Gardiner was changed so that it encompasses the entire Maine Turnpike, a toll road running from Kittery to Augusta. As an Interstate Highway, all of I-95 in Maine is included in the National Highway System, a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 95 in New Hampshire</span> Interstate Highway in New Hampshire, United States

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-mile (26 km) turnpike is maintained by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) Bureau of Turnpikes and has a single toll plaza near Hampton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 1 Bypass (Portsmouth, New Hampshire–Kittery, Maine)</span> Highway bypass in the United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Mildred Long Bridge</span> Bridge between Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine

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 Portsmouth Traffic Circle is a four-point rotary in the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piscataqua River Bridge</span> Bridge in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Bay Bridge</span> Bridges in New Hampshire, carrying traffic between the city of Dover and township of Newington

The Little Bay Bridge 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 1 in New Hampshire</span> Segment of American highway

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maine State Route 103</span> State highway in York County, Maine, US

State Route 103 (SR 103) is a 16.3-mile (26.2 km) long state highway in extreme southern Maine. The route is signed east–west, but forms a half-loop, with most of its western segment running strongly southeast slightly inland of the Piscataqua River and the state border with New Hampshire, its central skirting the Piscataqua generally easterly, and its eastern strongly northeast slightly inland from the Atlantic Ocean. The route piggybacks on different roads with many turns throughout its length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badger's Island</span> Small island in Maine

Badger's Island is located in the Piscataqua River at Kittery, Maine, United States, directly opposite Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It carries U.S. Route 1 between the states, connecting to the Kittery mainland by the Badger's Island Bridge, and to New Hampshire by the Memorial Bridge. Now largely a suburb of Portsmouth, the island features houses, condominiums, restaurants and marinas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kittery Community Center</span> United States historic place

The Kittery Community Center is located in the former Frank C. Frisbee Elementary School at 120 Rogers Road in Kittery, Maine. The building, built in 1943 by the United States government as part of war-related expansions of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015 for this association. It served Kittery as a school until 2009, and was converted for use as a multi-function community center providing space for arts, culture, and recreational activities in 2011-12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Paul Jones Memorial Park</span> United States historic place

John Paul Jones Memorial Park is a municipal park in the town of Kittery, Maine. The trapezoidal park, flanked by the lanes of United States Route 1 approaching the Memorial Bridge across the Piscataqua River, was established in 1926 and named for American Revolutionary War naval hero John Paul Jones. Its centerpiece is a memorial commemorating the soldiers and sailors of the state of Maine, designed by Bashka Paeff. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Helen "Eileen" Foley was an American politician. Foley served as the Mayor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, eight terms from 1968–1971, 1984–1985, and 1988–1997. She remains the longest-serving mayor in the city's history. She represented the 24th District in the New Hampshire Senate for seven terms, including one term as the Democratic Party Minority Leader.

References

  1. ↑ Nationalbridges.com. "National Bridge Inventory Bridges - 021702470008400". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2006-09-29.
  2. ↑ Seacoast Area Bicycle Routes. "Rehabilitation of Memorial Bridge, Portsmouth NH". Archived from the original on 2006-06-15. Retrieved 2006-10-02.
  3. 1 2 "New Bridge Opened for Traffic". The Portsmouth Herald . Portsmouth, New Hampshire. August 17, 1923. p. 1. Retrieved March 31, 2018– via newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Haas, Kimberly (2016-02-22). "Ex-Portsmouth Mayor Eileen Foley dies; city, state officials mourn". New Hampshire Union Leader . Archived from the original on 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
  5. ↑ PortsmouthPatch (2 October 2011). "Memorial Bridge Gets Send Off".
  6. 1 2 NHDOT. "Memorial Bridge Being Closed for Necessary Repairs" . Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  7. ↑ Wood, Roger. "What to Do When Memorial Bridge Is Under Repair - New Hampshire Public Radio" . Retrieved 2006-10-02.
  8. ↑ Darman, David (2009-05-01). "Stalled Memorial Bridge Repairs Frustrate Portsmouth Residents - New Hampshire Public Radio" . Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  9. ↑ National Trust for Historic Preservation (2009-04-28). "11 Most Endangered - Memorial Bridge - 2009" . Retrieved 2009-05-13.
  10. ↑ NHDOT. "Memorial Bridge Reopening Today to Vehicle Traffic" . Retrieved 2009-11-21.
  11. ↑ NHDOT. "Memorial Bridge to Reopen Today Following Repairs" . Retrieved 2011-06-29.
  12. ↑ NHDOT. "Tiger II Funding Secured For Memorial Bridge Replacement" . Retrieved 2011-06-29.
  13. ↑ "Adventure Cycling Association: It's Official! New U.S. Bicycle Routes Approved". Adventure Cycling Association . 2011-05-11. Archived from the original on 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
  14. ↑ NHDOT (January 3, 2012). "Memorial Bridge Closing to Walkers and Cyclists on January 9" . Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  15. ↑ WMUR (February 9, 2012). "Center Span Of Memorial Bridge Removed" . Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  16. 1 2 3 Seacoastonline.com (2010-05-07). "New Hampshire will save the Memorial Bridge" . Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  17. ↑ "New Memorial Bridge Set to Open on August 8". NHDOT. NHDOT. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  18. ↑ "Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth lights up blue and yellow for Ukraine". WMUR. 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2022-02-27.

Further reading

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.