at Penobscot Narrows Bridge
and the Observation Tower
August 18, 2011
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at Penobscot Narrows Bridge and the Observation Tower August 18, 2011 |
| As the two RV Gypsies were driving in their RV to Timberland Acres RV Park in Trenton, Maine, they saw a bridge peeking up over the tree tops. The road did not provide access to park their big RV, so Karen Duquette snapped some photos as they drove by. | |
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Below: The two RV Gypsies
drove their RV across the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, which looked like
the top of a sailboat from the angle approaching the bridge. |
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| Below: The
old Waldo–Hancock Bridge still stands beside the new bridge. |
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| Scroll down for the history of The Penobscot Narrows Bridge and photos from the observation tower. | |
 "The
Penobscot Narrows Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge over the Penobscot
River near Bucksport, Maine. It replaced the Waldo–Hancock Bridge,
built in 1931. The new bridge is 2,120 feet long. It is one of three bridges
in the U.S. constructed recently to utilize a cradle system that carries
the strands within the stays from bridge deck to bridge deck, as a continuous
element, eliminating anchorages in the pylons. Each epoxy-coated steel strand
is carried inside the cradle in a one-inch steel tube. Each strand acts
independently, allowing for removal, inspection and replacement of individual
strands. The cable-stay system was designed with a system that uses pressurized
nitrogen gas to defend against corrosion. Additionally, in June 2007, six
reference strands within three stays were replaced with carbon fiber strands
- a first in the U.S. Monitoring on the strands will evaluate this material
for future use in bridge designs. These engineering innovations helped the
bridge appear in the December 2006 edition of Popular Science as one of
the 100 best innovations of the year. The total project cost was $85 million.
The bridge was designed as an emergency replacement for the Waldo-Hancock
Bridge and from conception to completion, just 42 months elapsed." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penobscot_Narrows_Bridge_and_Observatory] |
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Below: Views of the Penobscot
Narrows Bridge (and the old bridge) as seen from the parking lot. |
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| Observation Tower: The Penobscot Bridge site also is home to the Penobscot Narrows Observatory, the first bridge observation tower in the United States and the tallest public bridge observatory in the world. The tower reaches 420 feet into the air and allowed the two RV Gypsies to view the bridge, the nearby Fort Knox State Historic Site and the Penobscot River and Bay. | |
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Below: Plaque and signs
at the Penobscot Narrows Observatory. |
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Below: Karen Duquette walked
towards the backside of the observation tower. This was not a scheduled
stop for the two RV Gypsies, but actually, they do not do a lot of planning
ahead of time. Many of the best things they have seen were in places they
just happened to drive by and took the time to stop and enjoy. (If they
can find a big enough parking spot for their RV) That is the beauty of
being retired and living in an RV full-time, able to tour the USA and
Canada at free will. |
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Below; The two RV Gypsies
took a one minute ride on the fastest elevator in Maine, New Hampshire
and Vermont to the top of the tallest public bridge-observatory
in the world. The beauty of the Penobscot River and surrounding
countryside became immediately apparent as the elevator door opened to
a view 420 feet up, with 360 degrees views, complete
with identification panels showing how to locate nearby mountains, lakes
and town. |
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| Below: Views through the windows on the upper level deck of the Penobscot Narrows Observatory. | |
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| "Controversy:
Shortly after construction had begun The State of Maine seized a local restaurant,
The Sail Inn, through eminent domain. The business was said to conflict
with the entrance to the bridge on the Prospect side of the bay. Maine
DOT later resorted to blasting a rock face, and created a longer and sharper
curve in the roadway for the approach to the bridge. Despite the change
in engineering, the restaurant was razed, and the land remains the property
of the State of Maine." |
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| [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penobscot_Narrows_Bridge_and_Observatory] | |
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The photos below show some
of the cables mentioned above |
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The Waldo–Hancock Bridge was the first long-span suspension bridge
erected in Maine, as well as the first permanent bridge across the Penobscot
River below Bangor. It was built in 1931. The name comes from connecting
Waldo and Hancock counties. The bridge was retired in 2006 as the new Penobscot
Narrows Bridge was opened just a few yards away.
The bridge is 2,040 feet long with a clear center span of 800 feet between towers. It has two 350 foot side spans and carries a 20 foot wide roadway with two 3-1/2 foot sidewalks. It uses stiffening trusses that are 9 feet deep. Each of the main suspender cables is 9-5/8 inches in diameter, and consists of 37 strands of 37 wires. The deck is 135 feet above water level to allow passage of large ships. The total cost of the span was less than $850,000 in 1931 dollars (about $12 million in 2010 dollars), significantly under its allocated budget. |
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The two RV Gypsies in Maine August 12 - 20, 2011 |
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You
may view the 11 sections below in any order that you choose. The page you are on not underlined and can not be chosen from here. |
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Bubble
Rock / Acadia National Park |
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Penobscot
Narrows Bridge (this page) |
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Scenic Overlook /Acadia National Park |
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After you have visited all 11 sections above -
please continue on to Lubec, Maine
- the easternmost town in the contiguous United
States.
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