Battered by the Atlantic Ocean, Maine's rugged coastline is home to countless estuaries, inlets, bays and coves. While former generations risked the waves and elements to cross those affected by fluctuations of tidal waters, a variety of bridges built in the 1900s provide a safer alternative. The bridges along Maine's midcoastal region have distinctive architecture and history, making them noteworthy places to visit along the way.
View From the Top
- Fort Knox State Historic Site houses Maine's largest historic fort built entirely of granite. The historic site also provides the gateway to visit the observatory tower on Penobscot Narrows Bridge, 35 miles north of Camden. The bridge stretches 2,120 feet across the Penobscot River with a high-tech design that includes epoxy-coated steel, carbon fiber and a cradle suspension system. A glass observatory situated on one of the bridge's towers rises 42 stories, allowing visitors to see more than 100 miles in any direction.
Gateway to the Islands
- Deer Isle lies 20 miles east of Rockland by water, and ferry was once the only way to travel between the two points. In 1939, the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge spanned the Eggemoggin to the nearest part of the mainland -- Sedgwick -- allowing its residents to travel back and forth by car along State Route 15. The suspension bridge required an under clearance of 85 feet to allow yachts to pass, resulting in a steep, 6.5 percent grade on each end and a 400-foot arch in the middle of the bridge.
Million Dollar Views
- The Fore River divides the city of Portland from South Portland, making a bridge between the two cities essential for travel. The earliest version of the bridge was built from wood and rose a mere 4 feet above the water, with a drawbridge that allowed ships to pass. This simple structure gave way to an elaborate concrete drawbridge known as the "Million Dollar Bridge" -- so named for the cost of its construction in 1916. After 80 years, the towering concrete arches began to crumble, and a larger, modern bridge replaced it. Although the structure crosses the Fore River, it's known as the Casco Bay Bridge in celebration of the view as you drive over it.
Backwater Babbs
- While most of Maine's covered bridges are located in the western part of the state, Babbs Bridge lies on the western edge of the Portland area in South Windham. Built in 1864, the wooden bridge met its demise in 1973 when vandals set it on fire. An exact replica stands in its place, stretching 79 feet over the Presumpscott River in a single span. Drive across the bridge on Covered Bridge Road, provided that your vehicle's clearance is less than 10-feet high.
