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Prospect in Waldo County, Maine — The American Northeast (New England)
 

The Waldo-Hancock Bridge

 
 
The Waldo-Hancock Bridge Marker image. Click for full size.
cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), October 21, 2009
1. The Waldo-Hancock Bridge Marker
Inscription. In the early days of the automobile, travel along this section of U.S. Route 1 involved a choice: to cross the Penobscot River, motorists could wait in long lines for a ferry or travel 27 miles north to cross the river between Bangor and Brewer.

In 1929, Maine voters authorized funds to build the Waldo-Hancock Bridge. This remarkable steel bridge, named for the two counties it connects, opened to traffic on November 16, 1931. More than 2,500 cars paid the toll to cross it the first week. The bridge's main span was more than twice as long as any other bridge in Maine. This span was 800 feet long; the overall length was 2,040 feet.

The bridge, heralded as the “most beautiful steel bridge,” cost less than $1 million to build. Designed by David Steinman, of Robinson & Steinman of New York, this bridge design was modern for its time, employing new technology such as pre-stressed wire strand cables and Vierendeel trusses.

Commenting on his design, Steinman noted that the trusses were designed to emphasize horizontal and vertical lines that were “compatible with the natural rocky setting, the stern lines of adjacent Fort Knox, and the background of colonial architecture” in Bucksport.

Severe cable corrosion discovered
In mid-2003, MaineDOT was part way through a major overhaul of
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the historic bridge and discovered severe corrosion in the cables, previously hidden by protective sheathing. Engineers agreed that the cables were too corroded to save and that the bridge would need to be replaced as soon as possible. For safety, the Waldo-Hancock Bridge's legal load limit was reduced immediately from 100,000 to 24,000 lbs.

As a temporary measure, a system of 16 new strengthening cables was designed, fabricated, and installed during the next 16 weeks. This was a feat never before accomplished on a standing suspension bridge. It assured the safety of the bridge while its replacement was designed and built.

Captions (right side, top to bottom)
• To build the bridge deck, workers laid out an intricate grid of steel reinforcing bars …
• then poured concrete into the molds from a small dump truck and worked it by hand.
• When completed, the bridge was a marvel of engineering and beauty.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. A significant historical date for this entry is November 16, 1931.
 
Location. 44° 33.696′ N, 68° 48.283′ W. Marker is in Prospect, Maine, in Waldo County. Marker is on Fort Knox Road (Maine Route 174) north of Acadia Highway (U.S. 1), on the right when traveling north. Marker is in the upper overlook at the entrance to Fort Knox and Penobscot
The Waldo-Hancock Bridge image. Click for full size.
cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), October 21, 2009
2. The Waldo-Hancock Bridge
Narrows Bridge & Observatory. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 740 Ft Knox Rd, Stockton Springs ME 04981, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Terreplein (approx. 0.3 miles away); Firing a Cannon (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Casemate - Key to Fort Design (approx. 0.3 miles away); Where Did the Soldiers Sleep? (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Heart of the Fort (approx. 0.3 miles away); Digging Down and Building Up (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Penobscot Expedition (approx. 0.3 miles away); Whitcomb-Baker VFW Post 4633 Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Prospect.
 
Regarding The Waldo-Hancock Bridge. The bridge, decommissioned in 2006 when the Penobscot Narrows Bridge opened, was demolished in 2013.
 
Also see . . .  Waldo-Hancock Bridge. History, details and photographs of the iconic but now-departed bridge. (HistoricBridges.org) (Submitted on May 26, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on May 26, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 103 times since then. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on May 26, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
 
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Mar. 28, 2024