Million Dollar Bridge (Maine)
Bascule bridge connecting Portland and South Portland across the Fore River, Maine, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
Million Dollar Bridge | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Million Dollar Bridge behind the then-under-construction Casco Bay Bridge. | |
| Coordinates | 43.644647°N 70.25656°W |
| Carries |  SR 77 and pedestrians |
| Crosses | Fore River |
| Locale | Portland, Maine, South Portland, Maine |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Girder Bascule |
| 24 feet (7.3 m) | |
| History | |
| Opened | 1916 |
| Closed | 1998 |
| Replaced by | Casco Bay Bridge |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 30,000 vehicles per day |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Million Dollar Bridge | |
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]
