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The stats of this 126-million-ton, 42-story-high landmark, built with 373,000 man-hours at a cost of $85 million, are widely publicized. Yet it is the wise management of human creativity and emotion during this project that is perhaps its most impressive achievement. The project was not without snags and PR conundrums. A local focus group opted for a design that more closely echoed the existing Waldo-Hancock Bridge (what locals call Verona Bridge), yet that was scrapped for cost reasons
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Yet through it all, the Maine Department of Transportation, led by Commissioner David Cole of Brewer, has handled the task with an uncommon measure of frankness and “can-do.” Perhaps this comes from the fact that Cole’s previous post was as CEO of Eastern Maine Development Corporation, where he often dealt with successful entrepreneurs who have little tolerance for red tape, time delays, or fuzzy math. Indeed, Maine DOT’s private-sector-like, fast-track approach to permitting, design, and building—accomplished in partnership with Maine firms Cianbro and Reed and Reed—have set a new standard for municipal projects.
Over the life of this historic project, the Maine Department of Transportation continually added to another unique public bridge—its project website. Packed with press releases, plans, and renderings, www.waldohancockbridge.com has also featured a community Q & A section, where concerned Maine citizens, exiles, and fans could get straight answers to their practical questions, patiently addressed by Maine DOT spokesperson Carol Morris. Here are some excerpts from 2006:
Every summer I ride my bike to Acadia National Park from my folks’ home in Belfast. The scariest part of the ride is going over the Waldo-Hancock Bridge. Will the new bridge have a wide sidewalk for bicyclists?
The new bridge will have a seven-foot-wide multiuse pathway on both lanes for pedestrian and bicycle use, so it should be much less scary than the existing bridge. The railings will also allow for a clearer and better view than is currently available, and the bridge deck will be nine feet higher. Should be a fun ride!
Will people in wheelchairs be able to reach the same viewing platform as others?
Yes, absolutely. From the elevator, people will either ascend two flights of stairs or take a platform lift to the top. The lift will be available to anyone who is unable to manage stairs. In this way, everyone can get to the top, and the panoramic 360-degree view will not be spoiled by an elevator shaft.
I was wondering if you will be charging to visit the observatory and if so, how much? Will the charging continue for as long as the bridge is in existence?
Yes, there will be a charge to take the elevator to the top of the observatory tower. The final rates have not yet been determined. The proceeds will be used to fund operations and maintenance for the observatory, which includes, among other items, the salaries of the two individuals who will work full-time there, as well as elevator maintenance. Since those expenses will be ongoing, we do expect to continue to charge a gate fee for the observatory.
Will the bridge be illuminated at night? If so, what type and how much lighting will be used?
Yes, there will be necklace lighting on the bridge railings spaced at 40 feet. These will be 50-watt metal halide lights that will create a ribbon of light [a necklace] across the entire bridge span. There will also be 92 highly-focused 150-watt ceramic-metal halide lights, which will light the stays
and pylons with a subtle white light. The present plan is to have these on for about 90 nights a year, paid for out of the proceeds from the observatory. The bridge will first be lighted at the grand opening next June 23 [2007].
This is not a bridge for Bucksport, Maine. Why is this bridge here now instead of one like the old one?
The old bridge is full of memories for many people in the region, and many people will be very sad to see it go. Unfortunately, bridges do not last forever. Building a replica of the old bridge would not support the number and size of vehicles this route now carries. When the Waldo-Hancock was built in 1931, vehicles were generally the size of the Model T Ford. Trucks carrying 100,000 pounds were unheard of. Based on this, it would not have been a practical use of taxpayers’ money to reproduce an outdated historic replica. In addition, a steel suspension bridge such as the Waldo-Hancock requires a significant amount of maintenance, especially in a marine climate such as ours. Transportation funds are scarce right now, Maine DOT has a limited maintenance budget, and it was a requirement that the new bridge be cost-efficient in terms of maintenance. The stay cables, which may be an aspect of the new bridge that you find too modern, are an innovative new design that allows the cables to be replaced individually. They have a triple protection system that will protect them from corrosion, which was the downfall of the old bridge.
While the new bridge is built with the most advanced technology available, the pylons were designed to take into account the local historical nature of the fort by their resemblance to the Washington Monument, which was built with the same Mt. Waldo granite as Fort Knox.
I am sure that this explanation will not make you feel any better, and I am sorry for that. But I wanted you to know the background of the new design, and why building a replica was not possible. Thank you for writing.
I just assumed that when the new bridge was complete, you’d keep the old bridge. Why not make it a bike/foot bridge?
The old bridge would unfortunately need too much ongoing work—and cost too much money—to be made safe even for pedestrians and bikes for the long term. It is impossible to justify spending money for this with transportation funding at such low levels, especially now that full pedestrian and bike access will be available on the new bridge. . . The old bridge will be taken down as soon as funding is available to do so—it will cost upwards of $10 million, so the schedule is, at this time, uncertain.
If there will be an under-bridge walkway, where will the entrance be?
The underslung sidewalk (which would be under the bridge deck on the Bucksport side) is scheduled to be built as soon as funding is available. In addition, right now there is no sidewalk on Verona Island (or Prospect, for that matter) and it only makes sense to add a special bridge sidewalk if there is a way for pedestrians to get to it. In the meantime, pedestrians and bicyclists can cross the bridge deck on a seven-foot multiuse path that runs on both sides of the bridge.
Why was this type of bridge chosen?
The bridge type, which is called a “cable stay,” was chosen because it is considered the most cost-effective and efficient engineering method for this span distance. When the original Waldo-Hancock was built in 1931, a suspension-type bridge was the only method then developed to get across this span length. That is why you see so many suspension bridges (the Brooklyn Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Deer Isle Bridge) from that era. Modern engineering has brought us the cable stay, a design which allows each cable stay to be individually monitored and, if necessary, replaced over the life of the bridge. Suspension bridges are now built primarily over much longer spans.
Did taxpayers want to fund such a bridge [one with an observation tower] or would a simple bridge have produced a similar result? What are the tolls going to be like?
The observatory was added to help bring visitors to the region, which is, as yet, relatively undiscovered compared to the midcoast area and the Bar Harbor area. Tourism is an important part of Maine’s economy. The cost of the observatory was about $3–$4 million; the total cost of the bridge and observatory is around $85 million. Maine taxpayers understood that the bridge needed to be replaced, and all the feedback we have gotten so far has been positive about this exciting new structure. Most folks believe this bridge and observatory will be something for Mainers to be proud of. There will be a fee for going up in the observatory, but there will not be a toll for crossing the bridge.
The Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory is a thoughtful, geographically accurate, and imposing name for the new bridge, but NO ONE will use that long, cumbersome, and convoluted name. So, resign yourselves to the public/locals coming up with a shorter name; viz., The Narrows Bridge, Verona Island Bridge, Bucksport Bridge, Prospect Bridge, Tower Bridge, Monument Bridge, or my personal favorite, Fort Knox Bridge. Capice?
Or perhaps simply, the New Bridge.
