This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (May 2020) |
Million Dollar Bridge | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 43°38′41″N 70°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 | |
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]