 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(May 2020) |
Million Dollar Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The Million Dollar Bridge behind the then-under-construction Casco Bay Bridge. | |
| Coordinates | 43°38′41″N70°15′24″W / 43.644647°N 70.25656°W |
| Carries |  SR 77 and pedestrians |
| Crosses | Fore River |
| Locale | Portland, Maine, South 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 |
| Location | |
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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]
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]
