The Memorial Bridge is a bridge in
Augusta,
Maine
Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
, that crosses the
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Kinəpékʷihtəkʷ'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 30, 2011 natural river within the U.S. state of Ma ...
, joining the east and west sides of the city. It carries
U.S. Route 201,
U.S. Route 202,
Route 11, and
Route 100. The bridge is approximately 2,100 feet (640 m) long and has two lanes for traffic and a barrier-protected
sidewalk
A sidewalk (North American English),
pavement (British English, South African English), or footpath (Hiberno-English, Irish English, Indian English, Australian English, New Zealand English) is a path along the side of a road. Usually constr ...
for pedestrians on each side of the roadway. It was built in 1949.
Safety fence
The Memorial Bridge is located near a state psychiatric hospital, the
Riverview Psychiatric Center. In 1983, after a number of deaths by suicide occurred on the bridge, an 11-foot‐high safety fence was installed on each side of the bridge. The fence was effective in deterring suicide by jumping.
In 2006, the fence was temporarily removed due to a renovation project, and this sparked debate on whether the fence was necessary.
See also
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References
Road bridges in Maine
Bridges in Kennebec County, Maine
Bridges completed in 1949
Former toll bridges in Maine
Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System
U.S. Route 202
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