Penobscot Narrows Bridge
A cable-stayed bridge that spans the Penobscot River and is home to the tallest public bridge observatory in the world
The Penobscot Narrows Bridge is a 447 foot high, 2,120-foot-long cable-stayed bridge that opened in 2006. It cost $85 million and took only 42 months from “conception to completion.” It is part of Route 1 and spans the Penobscot River and also connects Waldo and Hancock counties. From the 360 degree observation tower, you get an impressive view – 100 miles in all directions including nearby Fort Knox, the Camden Hills out to the Penobscot Bay and as far as Mt. Katahdin.
The bridge is founded on two massive concrete footings. Sitting on each footing is a 447 foot column with cables running through the columns. Each column is a concrete obelisk intended to look like the Washington Monument – though the Washington Monument is a bit taller at 555 feet versus 447 feet. The columns contain 80 cables arranged like a harp and each cable
The bridge replaced the aging Waldo-Hancock Bridge that had been open since 1931. Before that, a ferry took folks across the river. During routine inspections of the Waldo-Hancock bridge in the late 1990s, it was discovered that 70 years of Maine weather had severely corroded the cables and stays and the bridge needed immediate repairs. A company began repairs to strengthen one of the cables in 2000 but it was then discovered that the bridge was in worse shape than originally thought and that the bridge needed to be replaced quickly. They decided to immediately reduce the maximum load from 100,000 pounds to 24,000 pounds for safety while strengthening the other cables. At the same time, a plan and design was quickly drawn up.
Built to Last
Unlike the previous bridge, the new bridge was built a whole lot stronger to withstand the elements. The Washington Monument was built with granite from Mount Waldo so the designers decided to also use local granite and to make the towers echo the look of the Washington Monument. Each cable was covered with 16-inch plastic protective tubes. Then, the inside and outside of each steel strand was coated in epoxy, and each tube was filled with nitrogen gas that allows for continuous pressure monitoring.
What You’ll See
Buy your tickets on the way in and take a one minute elevator ride to the top – then walk up some stairs to the observation tower. After taking in the panoramic views, leave some time to wander around the park where you’ll see the remnants of the old bridge and an example section of the new bridge.
The tower is open May through October.
You might also be interested in this related tale about the granite industry on Vinalhaven.
