The Million Dollar Bridge was a

bascule bridge A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- or ...

built in 1916 which carried traffic on Route 77 over the Fore 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 ...

between

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 ...

and South Portland. Permits to construct the Million Dollar Bridge were issued by the

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

in 1893. The bridge was designed in 1914 and opened to traffic in 1916. The bascule span provided a horizontal clearance of . Originally owned by

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 bridge was transferred to the Maine Department of Transportation in 1959. In 1993, construction began on Casco Bay Bridge, a replacement for the Million Dollar Bridge. The Casco Bay Bridge is a higher bascule bridge, with an alignment just east of the Million Dollar Bridge. During construction of the new bridge, the Million Dollar Bridge was hit by the

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

Tankship A tanker (or tank ship or tankship) is a ship designed to transport or store liquids or gases in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and gas carrier. Tankers also carry commodities such as vegetable oils ...

'' Julie N.'' on September 27, 1996, and emergency repairs were made. The Casco Bay Bridge opened in 1997.

References

External links

{{Commons-inline, Million_Dollar_Bridge_(Maine), Million Dollar Bridge (Maine) Bridges completed in 1916 Bascule bridges in the United States Buildings and structures in South Portland, Maine Bridges in Portland, Maine Road bridges in Maine Bridges in Cumberland County, Maine Demolished bridges in the United States 1916 establishments in Maine 1998 disestablishments in Maine