Penobscot Narrows Bridge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. (help, get involved!)
Any material not supported by sources may be challenged and removed at any time. This article has been tagged since December 2006.

Penobscot Narrows Bridge
The Penobscot Narrows Bridge with the Waldo-Hancock Bridge in the background
Official name	Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory
Carries	US 1 and ME 3
Crosses	Penobscot River
Locale	Prospect – Verona Island, Maine
Maintained by	Maine Department of Transportation
Design	Cable-stayed bridge
Longest span	1,161 feet (354 m)
Total length	2,120 feet (646 m)
Height	447 feet (136 m)
Clearance below	135 feet (41 m)
Opening date	December 30, 2006
Coordinates	44.559° N 68.803° W

The Penobscot Narrows Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge over the Penobscot River near Bucksport, Maine. It replaced the Waldo-Hancock Bridge, built in 1931. The new bridge is 2,120 feet (646 m) long. It is different from other cable-stayed bridges because it has a cradle system that gives each epoxy-coated steel cable a one-inch sheath. The protective coating keeps the steel from rubbing and lets workers replace cables one at a time, not as a section of cables. The whole bridge is pumped full of pressurized nitrogen gas, which helps defend against corrosion. The bridge cost $85 million to build.

[edit] Observation Tower

The Penobscot Bridge site also is home to the Penobscot Bridge Observation Tower, the first bridge observation tower in the United States and only the third in the world. The tower reaches 420 feet (128 m) into the air and allows visitors to view the bridge, the nearby Fort Know State Historic Site and the Penobscot River and Bay. The tower is accessible through the Fort Knox site and charges a $5 admission fee.