Martin's Point Bridge spans the Presumpscot River in

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, United States, near the river’s mouth with

Casco Bay Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth. The city of Portland sits along its south ...

. It connects Falmouth Foreside, at

Mackworth Point Mackworth Point is a promontory in Falmouth Foreside, Maine, United States. It is located on the northern side of the Presumpscot River, at its confluence with Casco Bay, and it shares its name with Mackworth Island, located a short distance awa ...

, in the north, to the East Deering neighborhood of

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, at

Martin's Point Martin's Point is a promontory in Portland, Maine, United States. It is located on the southern side of the Presumpscot River, at its confluence with Casco Bay, in the East Deering neighborhood of the city. The point is connected to Mackworth Po ...

, in the south. in length, it carries vehicular and pedestrian traffic of U.S. Route 1. The bridge is two lanes, including a bicycle lane in each, with a pedestrian lane on the eastern side. A similar plan for the western side of the bridge was abandoned. The bridge passes around to the west of

Mackworth Island Mackworth Island State Park is an approximately island in Falmouth, Maine, United States, adjacent to its border with Portland, Maine. In 1631, Sir Ferdinando Gorges gave the island to Arthur Mackworth, his deputy in Casco Bay, and the island ...

and around east of Interstate 295 on the banks of the river. Route 1 joins I-295 a short distance to the south at the Veranda Street interchange. The first bridge was erected in 1828. Today's bridge, completed in 2014, is the fifth iteration, replacing one that was built in 1943. As of 2015, the bridge carries around 15,000 vehicles each day. It is part of the 3,000-mile long East Coast Greenway connecting Maine and

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

History

In 1807,

Ammi Ruhamah Mitchell Ammi Ruhamah Mitchell (May 8, 1762 – May 14, 1824) was an 18th- and 19th-century American physician. He also served ten years in the Massachusetts Legislature. Early life and education Mitchell was born on May 8, 1762, in North Yarmouth, Maine ...

and others petitioned for a bridge to provide a crossing of the Presumpscot River at its mouth with Casco Bay. Due to the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, plans for the bridge were put on hold. In 1828, the Proprietors of the Martin's Point Bridge committee built the bridge, originally in

toll Toll may refer to: Transportation * Toll (fee) a fee charged for the use of a road or waterway ** Road pricing, the modern practice of charging for road use ** Road toll (historic) The road toll was a historical fee charged to travellers and ...

form. The bridge was destroyed by

drifting ice Drift ice, also called brash ice, is sea ice that is not attached to the shoreline or any other fixed object (shoals, grounded icebergs, etc.).Leppäranta, M. 2011. The Drift of Sea Ice. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. Unlike fast ice, which is "fastene ...

in 1861. Five years later, John Williams and almost two thousand other people petitioned that the bridge be rebuilt, as a toll-free crossing, at the expense of

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Cumberland, historic county *Cumberlan ...

. The motion was authorized, and in 1868 a new, 2,050-foot-long bridge was completed. This bridge also carried the Portland and Yarmouth Electric Railway between 1898 and 1933. The bridge was a

drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable ...

in the 20th century. The Smelt Hill Dam, the first upriver dam from the bridge, was demolished in 2002. The process revealed the Presumpscot Falls for the first time in several hundred years.

References

{{reflist 1828 establishments in Maine Bridges completed in 2014 Casco Bay Bridges in Portland, Maine Buildings and structures in Falmouth, Maine Bridges in Cumberland County, Maine