Androscoggin Pedestrian Swinging Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Swinging Bridge in Maine
was originally built in 1892 for workers walking from the Topsham Heights neighborhood to Cabot Mill in Brunswick
, over the Androscoggin River
. The bridge was constructed by John A. Roebling's Sons Company, the engineering firm that designed and built the Brooklyn Bridge
in New York City and other bridges around the world. The bridge's history is closely tied to the French Canadian heritage of Topsham and Brunswick.
In the early 1900s the present steel towers replaced the original timber-framed towers. A flood destroyed the superstructure of the bridge in 1936 and was rebuilt in 1938 by the WPA
. The current cables date all the way back to when the bridge was first built.
The towns of Brunswick and Topsham created a joint committee to repair the bridge in 2000. The bridge renovation was completed in December 2006. Public parks on each side of the bridge were completed summer 2007.
A reopening and dedication ceremony was held on September 8, 2007, with two of John A Roebling's great-great-great granddaughters in attendance.
The Swinging Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in January 2004. It was dedicated as a Maine Historic Civil Engineering Landmark May 2011 by the Maine Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The bridge is set to be a part of the new fully accessible Androscoggin Riverwalk currently being designed. Completion of the project is anticipated within three to five years.
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
was originally built in 1892 for workers walking from the Topsham Heights neighborhood to Cabot Mill in Brunswick
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
, over the Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
. The bridge was constructed by John A. Roebling's Sons Company, the engineering firm that designed and built the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
in New York City and other bridges around the world. The bridge's history is closely tied to the French Canadian heritage of Topsham and Brunswick.
In the early 1900s the present steel towers replaced the original timber-framed towers. A flood destroyed the superstructure of the bridge in 1936 and was rebuilt in 1938 by the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
. The current cables date all the way back to when the bridge was first built.
The towns of Brunswick and Topsham created a joint committee to repair the bridge in 2000. The bridge renovation was completed in December 2006. Public parks on each side of the bridge were completed summer 2007.
A reopening and dedication ceremony was held on September 8, 2007, with two of John A Roebling's great-great-great granddaughters in attendance.
The Swinging Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in January 2004. It was dedicated as a Maine Historic Civil Engineering Landmark May 2011 by the Maine Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The bridge is set to be a part of the new fully accessible Androscoggin Riverwalk currently being designed. Completion of the project is anticipated within three to five years.