Waldo-Hancock Bridge
Coordinates: 44 ° 33'38 " N , 68 ° 48'5" W.
| Waldo-Hancock Bridge | ||
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| use |
 US Route 1
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| Crossing of | Penobscot River | |
| construction | Suspension bridge | |
| overall length | 622 m | |
| width | 7 m | |
| Longest span | 244 m | |
| Clear height | 41 m | |
| opening | 1931 | |
| planner | Roberts & Steinman | |
| closure | 2006 | |
| location | ||
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The Waldo-Hancock Bridge was the first large suspension bridge in the US state of Maine and also the first road bridge over the Penobscot River below Bangor . Opened in 1931, the bridge was shut down in 2006 when the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge opened right next to it . The US Route 1 connects at this point Waldo County with Hancock County .
description
The bridge designed by David B. Steinman was a total of 621.8 m (2040 ft) long. Its clear height of 41.15 m (135 ft) above MHW corresponded to the dimensions specified by the Brooklyn Bridge at the time . Its main opening had a span of 243.84 m (800 ft), the side openings had spans of 106.68 m (350 ft) each. The deck girder consisted of a 2.74 m (9 ft) high and 7 m wide truss construction.
The narrow pylons were no longer provided with neo-Gothic style elements like many older and Steinman's St. Johns Bridge in Portland (Oregon) built at the same time . Instead of the already then used diagonal struts its pillars were with horizontal truss - traverses stiffened. Steinman used similar rectangular openings with ornamental vertical bars in the Deer Isle Bridge, also built in Maine, and Othmar Ammann in the approximately simultaneous Triborough Bridge .
As with St. John's Bridge, the suspension ropes did not consist of parallel wire ropes , but of industrially produced, laid ropes that were bundled, compressed and sheathed. This method, used by Steinman for the first time at the Pont de Grand-Mère , made it possible to lay the ropes much faster and thus significantly reduce costs.
The Waldo-Hancock Bridge was added to the List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2002.
During renovation work in 2003, it became apparent that, among other measures, new ropes would also be required, which would make maintaining the bridge uneconomical for a longer period. That is why it was decided to build the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. The dismantling of the old bridge was completed in June 2013.
Web links
- Waldo-Hancock Bridge. In: Structurae
- Waldo-Hancock Suspension Bridge Photos, on Bridgemeister.com
- Waldo-Hancock Suspension Bridge more photos, on Bridgemeister.com
Individual evidence
- ^ William J. Angelo: Maine Cables Get Extra Support in Rare Procedure. Article dated October 11, 2003 on ENR.com (McGraw-Hill Construction / Engineering News-Record)
- ↑ Mario Moretto: Waldo-Hancock Bridge nearly gone after last suspension cables plunge into Penobscot River . Article from May 16, 2013 in The Bangor Daily News
- ↑ Photo in the English Wikipedia