Piscataqua River Bridge

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Piscataqua River Bridge
Piscataqua River Bridge 01.jpg
The Piscataqua River Bridge seen from the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge
Coordinates 43°05′34″N70°45′58″W / 43.092788°N 70.766158°W / 43.092788; -70.766158
CarriesI-95.svg I-95
Crosses Piscataqua River
Locale Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine
Official namePiscataqua River Bridge
Maintained by New Hampshire Department of Transportation [1]
ID number 021702580012800 [2]
Characteristics
Design Steel through arch bridge
Total length1372.5 m (4,503 ft)
Width29.9 m (98 ft)
Clearance above 7.1 m (23.3 ft)
Clearance below 41.1 m (134.8 ft)
History
OpenedNovember 1, 1972;52 years ago (1972-11-01) [3]
Statistics
Daily traffic 60,700 (1990)
Location
Piscataqua River Bridge

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.

Contents

History

Approaching the main span from New Hampshire Piscataqua River Bridge.jpg
Approaching the main span from New Hampshire
Reinforced concrete piers support the bridge (seen from the Maine side). Interstate 95 - Maine.jpg
Reinforced concrete piers support the bridge (seen from the Maine side).

The development of the Interstate Highway System required new roads to be constructed and existing ones to be absorbed into the network. In New Hampshire, Interstate 95 (I-95) was routed along the New Hampshire Turnpike, which had opened to traffic in 1950, and paralleled U.S. Route 1 through New Hampshire's Seacoast region from the Massachusetts border to the Turnpike's end at the Portsmouth Traffic Circle. [4] A gap remained between the traffic circle and the beginning of the Maine Turnpike on the other side of the Piscataqua River, filled by the US-1 Bypass. It crossed the river using the two-lane Sarah Mildred Long lift bridge, which was far from meeting Interstate Highway standards for four-lane highways and fixed spans.

The decision was made to extend I-95 north from the New Hampshire Turnpike at Portsmouth and south from the Maine Turnpike in Kittery, and join the roads with a high-speed fixed span over the Piscataqua. A drawing of the proposed bridge was published in area newspapers as early as June 1967. [5]

Work on the bridge began in 1968 and was completed in 1971, with the I-95 extension to it in Maine completed the following year. [6] The bridge was officially opened on November 1, 1972, in a ceremony attended by the Governor of New Hampshire, Walter R. Peterson Jr., and the Governor of Maine, Kenneth M. Curtis. [7] [3]

The bridge's steel construction received an award of merit in 1973 from the American Institute of Steel Construction, and in 1974 was the winning entry a contest by the United States Department of Transportation as the country's outstanding bridge. [8]

A major rehabilitation and repair project began in 2019 and was expected to last until 2022. [9]

Incidents

Tragedy struck the site about midway through construction. On June 24, 1970, two of the I-beams supporting the staging area on the Kittery side of the span gave way, plunging four workers 75 feet (23 m) to their deaths and leaving another seven injured. [10] A memorial plaque was placed beneath the bridge on the Maine side, visible from Maine Route 103. [11]

Since the bridge opened, there have been various instances of people jumping off the structure, many (but not all) of which have proved fatal—examples of such events, along with other incidents reported in area newspapers, follow in this section.

On March 21, 1980, a 27-year-old woman jumped from the bridge after pushing her 4-year-old daughter off the structure; both survived what was believed to be a murder-suicide attempt. [12] [13] The incident led to Maine and New Hampshire working to identify exact state boundaries on the bridge, in order to determine jurisdiction. [12] On October 12, 1989, a New Hampshire contractor died of head injuries while working on the bridge; his employer was later fined by OSHA for safety violations. [14]

On March 11, 1998, an empty car, still running, was found on the bridge—its driver was believed to have jumped, but no body was found. [15] On January 23, 1999, Maine State Police approached a man who had been walking in one of the bridge's traffic lanes, but the man jumped before police could speak with him; no body was found. [15]

On July 8, 2000, a man jumped from the bridge; his body was found later that month by lobstermen. [16] On August 1, 2012, a man who had ridden his bicycle onto the bridge jumped; despite an extensive search, no body was found. [17]

On May 5, 2022, a man experiencing a mental health crisis and threatening to jump off the bridge was successfully talked down by members of the Maine State Police following a two-hour dialogue. [18] In the early morning hours of August 29, 2024, officers of the New Hampshire State Police and Maine State Police fatally shot a man on the bridge, after he exited his parked vehicle and raised a weapon. The man's body fell into the river below, and was later recovered by the Coast Guard. [19] [20] In the afternoon of October 27, 2024, a man who reportedly jumped from the bridge was rescued by New Hampshire Marine Patrol personnel, then transported to a local hospital. [21] On December 3, 2024, police successfully convinced a man having a mental health crisis to climb down from structure on the bridge, after he appeared likely to jump. [22] On December 12, 2024, an officer with the Biddeford, Maine, police department was killed in an accident on the Maine side of the bridge shortly after 1 a.m as he was returning to his home in Portsmouth. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portsmouth, New Hampshire</span> City in New Hampshire, United States

Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmouth was formerly the home of the Strategic Air Command's Pease Air Force Base, since converted to Portsmouth International Airport at Pease.

<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, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falmouth Spur</span> Highway in Maine

The Falmouth Spur is a short freeway connecting Interstate 95 (I-95) with I-295 and US Route 1 (US 1) north of Portland, Maine, in the United States. It carries the unsigned designation of Interstate 495 (I-495). As part of the Maine Turnpike, the mainline of which carries I-95, the Falmouth Spur is a toll road. The spur has only two interchanges—one at each end—and a toll booth in the middle. It is signed only for its destinations—I-95, I-295, and US 1—to minimize driver confusion.

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">New Hampshire Route 16</span> North-south state highway in New Hampshire, US

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Hampshire Route 101</span> East-west highway in southern New Hampshire, U.S.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Hampshire Highway System</span>

The New Hampshire Highway System is the public roads system of the U.S. state of New Hampshire containing approximately 17,029 miles (27,406 km) maintained by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT). All public roads in the state are called "highways", thus there is no technical distinction between a "road" or a "highway" in New Hampshire.

<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">Memorial Bridge (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)</span> Vertical-lift bridge across the Piscataqua River

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."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 1 in Maine</span> State highway in eastern Maine, US

U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in the U.S. state of Maine is a major north–south section of the United States Numbered Highway System, serving the eastern part of the state. It parallels the Atlantic Ocean from New Hampshire north through Portland, Brunswick, and Belfast to Calais, and then the St. Croix River and the rest of the Canada–United States border via Houlton to Fort Kent. The portion along the ocean, known as the Coastal Route, provides a scenic alternate to Interstate 95 (I-95).

<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.

References

  1. ↑ NH General Court. "Section 228:40 Piscataqua River Bridge; Maintenance" . Retrieved October 2, 2006.
  2. ↑ Nationalbridges.com. "National Bridge Inventory Bridges - 021702510010800". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved September 29, 2006.
  3. 1 2 Munson, Cecil B. (November 2, 1972). "Maine-N.H. Bridge Is Open". Biddeford-Saco Journal. Biddeford, Maine. p. 1. Retrieved March 31, 2018– via newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "New Hampshire Turnpike (I-95)". bostonroads.com. Retrieved October 2, 2006.
  5. ↑ "Maine--N.H. Span". Portland Press Herald . Portland, Maine. June 7, 1967. p. 8. Retrieved October 30, 2024– via newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Maine's Interstate turns 50!". maine.gov. MaineDOT. Archived from the original on September 30, 2006. Retrieved October 3, 2006– via Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ "Governors open Maine-N.H. bridge" . The Boston Globe . November 2, 1972. p. 13. Retrieved March 31, 2018– via pqarchiver.com.
  8. ↑ "Acadia Bridge-Stretching Fear Wins U.S. Environmental Award". Morning Sentinel . Waterville, Maine. November 24, 1977. p. 37. Retrieved October 30, 2024– via newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Preserving a Valuable Existing Infrastructure". buildingabettergateway.com. MaineDOT. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Four Workers Die, 7 Hurt in Fall at Bridge". Chicago Tribune . UPI. June 25, 1970. p. 38. Retrieved March 31, 2018– via newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Eliot Rd, Kittery, Maine". September 2011. Retrieved March 31, 2018– via Google Maps.
  12. 1 2 "Was jump in Maine or N.H.?". Bennington Banner . Bennington, Vermont. UPI. March 24, 1980. p. 7. Retrieved October 30, 2024– via newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Mother indicted for murder". Daily Press . Victorville, California. UPI. September 14, 1980. p. A-3. Retrieved October 30, 2024– via newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "OSHA fines N.H. company". Sun Journal . Lewiston, Maine. AP. December 22, 1989. p. 11. Retrieved October 30, 2024– via newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 "One year after bridge jump, mystery remains". Journal Tribune . Biddeford, Maine. AP. February 7, 2000. p. 3. Retrieved October 30, 2024– via newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Body found in ocean identified". Concord Monitor . Concord, New Hampshire. AP. July 23, 2000. p. B2. Retrieved October 30, 2024– via newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Man jumps off I-95 bridge into Piscataqua River". Portland Press Herald . Portland, Maine. August 2, 2012. p. C2. Retrieved October 30, 2024– via newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Man who aimed to jump off bridge talked down". Portland Press Herald . Portland, Maine. May 6, 2022. p. B6. Retrieved October 30, 2024– via newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ Jones, Caleb (August 29, 2024). "Police fatally shoot man on New Hampshire-Maine bridge along I-95; 8-year-old child found dead in vehicle". Boston.com . AP . Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  20. ↑ Porter, Steven; Ellement, John R. (August 29, 2024). "Police on N.H.-Maine bridge fatally shoot man who allegedly killed wife, find dead child, 8, in his car" . The Boston Globe . Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  21. ↑ Lenahan, Ian (October 30, 2024). "Man pulled from river alive after jump from I-95 high-level Piscataqua River Bridge". Foster's Daily Democrat . Dover, New Hampshire . Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  22. ↑ Lenahan, Ian; Cram, Deb (December 3, 2024). "Police talk man off I-95 bridge as mental health crisis forces highway closure". Foster's Daily Democrat . Dover, New Hampshire . Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  23. ↑ Lenahan, Ian (December 12, 2024). "I-95 bridge fatality: Maine police officer who lived in Portsmouth killed". Foster's Daily Democrat . Dover, New Hampshire . Retrieved December 12, 2024.

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