The Waldo-Hancock Bridge

The Waldo-Hancock Bridge. . 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 and 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, Maine DOT was part way through a major overhaul of 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.