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| The Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth, NH, erected in 1923 to honor those who served in World War I. |
Where does your eye go when you look at this? (Feel free to click to enlarge it to humongous.)
Everywhere all at once and nowhere in particular?
Yeah, that's what I thought.
That was my intent.
Why?
Look at this mess!
On the far left is what remains of the footing for the middle span of what was once a truss drawbridge over the Piscataqua River. To the far right, it's still possible to see the mostly intact northern-most span. It will soon head down the river, out to sea, and join the southern and middle spans in Quincy, Massachusetts (or thereabouts) where it will fetch a tidy sum as scrap metal.
This was completely avoidable.
The Great State of New Hampshire and this Great Country's Department of Transportation were ready to put up the bucks necessary to repair this historic and much-needed bridge. Sadly, the legislature in Maine: The Way Life Should Be (and seldom is), was not. Had they agreed to pay their share to renovate way back in 2009, the picture above would look a bit different. Sure there would be equipment everydamnwhere but one of the region's historic structures would still be intact—undergoing repairs to make it viable for another 80-100 years.
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| July 2011: the final inspection to determine if this piece of history would be repaired or torn apart. Caught this with my phone while waiting to cross over to Maine. Little did I know this would be the last time. |
There were three bridges connecting NH to Maine. Studies have proven that all three are necessary to accommodate the heavy traffic this tourist mecca endures.
Now there are two.
More studies have shown that the next drawbridge up the line—The Mildred Long Bridge—will need repair fairly soon to remain safe. I wonder what Maine's legislature will do this time?
Tomorrow's prompt is: Waiting. Since we've all waited for something, this should be a snap, right? RIGHT?
So sad. I remember when they bypassed another old bridge many years ago on the border.
ReplyDeleteIn Annapolis, MD where my family (as in extended) own waterfront property, there was also a dispute about one of the bridges. It was a draw-bridge, and people used to line the entire thing, fishing. A compromise was reached. A new, taller, no need to draw, bridge was constructed next to the old bridge. They one removed the middle of the bridge though, so there are still fishing along those old pieces. They also changed the law which used to say, "No fishing from bridge" to a"Guidelines for Fishing the Old Route 50 Bridge". Pretty cool solution if you ask me!
ReplyDeletekinda scary when all the roads start going at once...my eye went to the cachophony on the right...
ReplyDeleteYou would think that they would replace it if that was important.
ReplyDeleteDo not even get me started on politicians! Perhaps the peole of Maine could string their legislature together and make a bridge out of them!
ReplyDeletePoliticians and our national infrastructure are a poor combination in all of the states.
ReplyDeleteHow frustrating. And short-sighted.
ReplyDelete"/
Bridges scare the crap out of me.
ReplyDeleteSo, they're taking it down but not replacing it with anything? How far will the traffic have to travel to cross the Pictac... Piscactqu... Piscaquat... the river?
ReplyDeleteI've spent a humongous amount of time not learning techniques, and I'm not a fan of bridges either...
ReplyDeleteMy eye was immediately drawn to the lower right-hand corner of the photo, where there's something that looks like a shark fin poking up out of the water. I don't know about you, but I think sharks are really, really scary. For example, let's say you decide to go for a swim in the waters of New Hampshire. I don't why you would do that given that the water's probably polluted with maple syrup and discarded plaid shirts, but let's assume you would. So you're swimming, having a good time exept for the taste of salty maple syrup and seaty plaid shirts in your mouth, and suddelnly your legs get bitten off by a shark. Se what I mean? Scar;y.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to apologize for the typos near the end of that comment. I was drinking some water, and thought I saw a shark.
ReplyDeleteI've seen that bridge on the way to Ogunquit, I think. When you travel from Quebec to Maine you have to go through New Hampshire. We have the same problem in Canada with infrastructure. In some places the roads are decrepit, bridges are literally falling apart. You're taking you life in your hands when you drive these days.
ReplyDeleteSo if there's enough traffic for three bridges, but only two are in use... That just doesn't seem like a good idea to me. And I know a thing or two about bridges, I used to live on an island, after all. ;)
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. . .when I saw this I actually thought it was the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria, B.C. It looks very much like it, except that it's being replaced by one that's being built right next to it, and many citizens thought it would be a better idea to repair it. Pictures and information here: http://johnsonstreetbridge.org/?p=2130 Stuff happens. Two bridges connect San Francisco to various other locations. One broke in a major earthquake in the 1980s - quite a mess.
ReplyDeleteAre you referring to a bridge further up the border? I know there have been issues up a bit further north but wasn't aware they'd actually permanently closed any bridges up there.
ReplyDeleteI haven't looked at the plans for the new bridge but hope it allows for bikers and walkers as the old bridge did. Maine wanted to close this and make it a walking bridge but I doubt they'd have allowed fishing. Could cut into their residents' pocketbooks.
ReplyDeleteLiving in a place that's so old, it's not surprising that things are crumbling. What's sad is that NH made great use of the funding from the ARRA money but still failed to save the bridge.
ReplyDeleteIt is being replaced (forgot that part). I hate that we've lost a part of our history. This is an area that is so rich with history and losing a piece of it hurts.
ReplyDeleteHa! That's a great idea.
ReplyDeleteIdjits.
Well said.
ReplyDeletePretty much the norm these days, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteOh you poor woman. You would never survive up here. Water everywhere and all manner of bridges to cross it. Growing up in the middle of the state, we lived 1/2 a city block from a bridge that I crossed several times a day, usually on foot but often in a car. My first experience with someone who was afraid of bridges was my mother-in-law. I'd never seen fear like that except on crazy bumpy planes. The one time she visited, she white-knuckled it. We had to find ways to get from Point A to B without going over water. Impossible over on the coast.
ReplyDeleteThey are replacing it. Until it reopens, we're all rerouting to the the Mildred Long or I-95 bridges. The bridge that closed was the Route 1 bridge (Route 1 goes from the easternmost part of Maine all the way down to the last island in the Florida Keys). This was the most convenient bridge to our home. Now it seems to take forever to get from here to there.
ReplyDeleteNot a fan or scared shitless? There's a huge difference. I love 'em and it's so hard to watch the fear of someone who's terrified of 'em.
ReplyDeleteAccepted. I can't believe you saw the shark! I was kinda hoping no one would notice what with it being so close to the shore of a river. River sharks are nasty critters and they do love their maple syrup soaked plaid shirts. Do you remember the shark on SNL? River sharks are a whole lot like that. One of the things they do best is track down wiseguys, knock on their doors with a maple-gram, and devour those pesky smart-asses in one bite.
ReplyDeleteThis is the Route 1 bridge ~ connecting ME to NH as Route 1 winds from the easternmost border of ME all the way down to the southernmost key of FL. Infrastructure is crumbling everywhere, especially areas that have been settled for centuries.
ReplyDeleteIt's being rebuilt but for almost 2 years (they closed it in July 2011), we'll be taking the long way around to get back and forth to Maine. Businesses on both sides of each dead-end are suffering. It all just really sucks.
ReplyDeleteThere are bridges here that have been left standing while new bridges were built beside them. With this, it just isn't possible due to the river traffic. This is still an active port of call and huge ships move in and out of the harbor daily. The original bridge was in bad shape in 2009. By the time they did the last of many inspections in July 2011, it was at red alert condition and had to be closed immediately. While they rebuild, we all just have to travel a more roundabout course to get to where we're going.
ReplyDeleteThere is a big dispute about a bridge coming to Corolla... who will pay, should be be done at all.... I have mixed feelings....
ReplyDeleteIt's happening everywhere. Never seems to be enough money to salvage the past. :(
ReplyDeleteLove this photo :-) Is that Jaws swimming around in the fore ground ?
ReplyDelete