lift span raised

The the lift span of the still under construction Sarah Mildred Long Bridge is in place and tested. The span currently sits in the open position, probably to avoid the need to staff the bridge before it opens to traffic.

lift span placed

The structural steel span that will serve as the lift section for the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge was floated in and installed last Wednesday. As installed it weighs approximately 3 million pounds. Once it is completed - with a paved road surface and railroad tracks down the center - the span will weigh approximately 4 million pounds or 2000 tons.

Channel Closure Scheduled to Begin October 17th Beginning on Tuesday morning the navigational channel will be closed to all vessels - from kayaks to tankers - within a 300-yard radius of the bridge. The nearly 3 million pound center lift span will be floated in on barges across the Piscataqua River between 10:00 a.m. and noon and positioned for the float in. On Wednesday morning, between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. the rising tide will lift the span to clear the bearings. Between 9:00 a.m. and noon the lift span will be put into position over the bearings. At 1:45 p.m. the outgoing tide will lower the lift span onto the bearings. Once resting on the bearings, the barge will be pushed to the state pier. Adequate clearance to remove the barge from under the lift span should occur at approximately 3:45 p.m. published on the Sarah Mildred Long (SML) Bridge Replacement project web page

I find the method of span placement to be fascinating. And I'm amazed at the minds that have the capacity to design a structure like this one.

The Coast Guard has closed the Piscataqua River around the bridge until 6 AM on October 27th. I assume that's the time that is needed to connect the lift span to the pulley system on the towers that will raise and lower the bridge.

While I wasn't there for the float in I felt a need to see the bridge in progress. Today was a good day for a Portsmouth visit and bridge sighting! I'm lucky that the Memorial Bridge includes sidewalks; it was a good place to stand for an unobstructed view of the new bridge.

Looking inland, the lift span is currently sitting at the level of the railroad tracks.
The green bridge in the background is the I-95 bridge.


It's a little easier to see the lift span when looking to the sea.

If you're interested in seeing some photos of the lift span placement, take a look at the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge Replacement Project Facebook page.

calm water

Yesterday afternoon I braved the heat for a walk along the water in Portsmouth, NH.

It's always interesting to see the current state of construction on the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge between Portsmouth and Kittery. There are more connected (or almost connected) bridge sections in place than there were the last time I visited.

The new bridge is scheduled to open to traffic in late September or early October, with project completion in June of 2018.

If you're curious, check the MaineDOT page The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge Replacement - The Regional River Crossing .

removing old, building new

When I finished walking at Odiorne Point State Park yesterday afternoon I continued up the coast to Portsmouth before turning for home. During the blooming season I often make a stop at Prescott Park to enjoy the flowers; yesterday I just continued my drive with no stopping point in mind.

As I drove by I could see the changes in the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge project and I knew I needed to stop. When I last visited at the end of December the old bridge (minus the lift section) was still in place. Yesterday I found that the last section of bridge spanning the Piscataqua River had been removed, leaving only some pieces on land. The road surface was gone but some of the green metal structure still remained. I'm glad I continued to the north and east before heading home because I suspect the next time I visit all remnants of the old bridge will be gone.

Construction of the new bridge continues. I was fascinated to see two standing sections waiting for a span of concrete to be placed; fastening new chunks of concrete structure between them must be an interesting exercise.

pieces of a bridge

A quick stop in Portsmouth showed pieces of the new Sarah Mildred Long Bridge emerging from the water. I find it fascinating to watch as the new bridge is constructed.

trespass

Watching the construction of the new Memorial Bridge between Portsmouth and Kittery was interesting and relatively easy since there were piers right next to the bridge where I could stand. Now the middle bridge between Portsmouth and Kittery is the construction target, the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge.

It crosses a section of the river where there is little access (for me) to stand and watch.

The old bridge was scheduled to remain open until November 1, 2016. That changed on Sunday when there was a mechanical failure of the lift bridge. From a press release on the Maine DOT Sarah Mildred Long Bridge web site:

The mechanical issue in the south bridge tower was discovered on the morning of August 21. Engineers were able to lift the bridge to the “up” position at about 1:00 am on Monday, August 22 to accommodate marine traffic. By keeping the bridge in this position, federal law, which requires a bridge to be accessible to marine traffic at all times, is adhered to.

Repairs were estimated to cost in the $1,000,000 price range so a decision was made to close the (old) bridge now, leaving the lift section in the "up" position.

The old bridge was a motor-vehicle-only place, no sidewalks and no bicycles allowed. Knowing that the bridge was closed I thought I'd risk a visit on foot. I was able to walk on the now closed bridge, sharing the space with two construction vehicles carrying two workers. It was interesting to see the work in progress.

More photos can be seen in the gallery new Sarah Mildred Long Bridge.

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This bridge carries both a road and railroad tracks, with the tracks below the road surface. I've found it interesting that the pictures I've seen of the proposed structure show the road connected along the lift section but show the railroad tracks open. After wandering a bit on the project's web site I found this listed under key attributes:

With a larger 56’ vertical clearance in its “resting” position, there will be 68% fewer bridge openings. In the normal operating, “resting” position, the bridge’s lift span is at its middle level, allowing motor vehicles to cross the river. The new bridge’s movable “hybrid” span lifts up to allow passage of tall vessels and lowers to railroad track level for trains to cross.

That's very interesting, isn't it?