Little Bay Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Little Bay Bridge is a twin-span girder bridge
that carries a concurrency
of U.S. Route 4
, NH Route 16
, and the Spaulding Turnpike
across the mouth of Little Bay
, where it meets the Piscataqua River
, between the city of Dover
and the town of Newington
in New Hampshire
.
The first span, which is now the southbound span, was opened in 1966. The second span was opened in 1984.
The two spans were built to replace an older one, named the General Sullivan Bridge, which was built in 1935 and is still standing though closed to traffic. The Little Bay Bridge is often referred to as the "General Sullivan Bridge" as well, because it is at the same location as the older bridge, and because of the eighteen-year period between the completion of the first Little Bay span and the opening of the second, when both the old and new bridges were in use.
The General Sullivan Bridge is a deck truss bridge
, with a through truss span to accommodate ship traffic, that formerly carried the roads that now travel over the Little Bay Bridge. Completed in 1935, the bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since the opening of the second Little Bay span in 1984.
The bridge was named for John Sullivan
, a Revolutionary War
General
, Governor of New Hampshire
, and delegate to the Continental Congress
, who was from nearby Somersworth
.
Since being closed to vehicular traffic, the General Sullivan has been used by pedestrians and cyclists, as the Little Bay Bridge does not have facilities for foot traffic. The older bridge is also a popular fishing spot. Despite being considered by some to be the second most historic bridge in New Hampshire (after Portsmouth's
Memorial Bridge
), the future of the General Sullivan is uncertain.
is planning a comprehensive improvement of the area.
Both bridges are under scrutiny, with four options being considered. Three call for expansion of the Little Bay Bridge to six or eight lanes and restoration of the General Sullivan as both a pedestrian/bicycle way and alternative for buses and overflow traffic. The fourth would replace all three spans with an eight lane bridge.
The eventual fate of the General Sullivan is more controversial than that of the Little Bay Bridge. The Coast Guard
regards it as a navigation hazard and favors its removal. Other opponents cite rehabilitation costing between $8 and $11 million more than razing. Bridge proponents cite its eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Girder bridge
A girder bridge, in general, is a bridge built of girders placed on bridge abutments and foundation piers. In turn, a bridge deck is built on top of the girders in order to carry traffic. There are several different subtypes of girder bridges:...
that carries a concurrency
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
of U.S. Route 4
U.S. Route 4
U.S. Route 4 is a long United States highway that runs from East Greenbush, New York, in the west to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the east, traversing through Vermont.In New York, US 4 is signed north–south to reflect its alignment in the state...
, NH Route 16
New Hampshire Route 16
New Hampshire Route 16 is a long north–south highway in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Much of its length is close to the border with Maine. NH 16 is the main route from the Seacoast region north to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains. The section from Portsmouth to Milton is a...
, and the Spaulding Turnpike
Spaulding Turnpike
The Spaulding Turnpike is a toll road in New Hampshire, USA, running from Interstate 95 in Portsmouth northwest to Milton. The turnpike roughly parallels the Maine border, and in the mid-1990s New Hampshire Route 16 was re-signed onto the turnpike...
across the mouth of Little Bay
Great Bay (New Hampshire)
Great Bay is a tidal estuary located in Strafford and Rockingham counties in eastern New Hampshire, United States. The bay occupies over , not including its several tidal river tributaries. Its outlet is at Hilton Point in Dover, New Hampshire, where waters from the bay flow into the Piscataqua...
, where it meets the Piscataqua River
Piscataqua River
The Piscataqua River, in the northeastern United States, is a long tidal estuary formed by the confluence of the Salmon Falls and Cocheco rivers...
, between the city of Dover
Dover, New Hampshire
Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region...
and the town of Newington
Newington, New Hampshire
Newington is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 753 at the 2010 census. It is bounded to the west by Great Bay, northwest by Little Bay and northeast by the Piscataqua River. It is home to Portsmouth International Airport at Pease , and to the New...
in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
.
The first span, which is now the southbound span, was opened in 1966. The second span was opened in 1984.
The two spans were built to replace an older one, named the General Sullivan Bridge, which was built in 1935 and is still standing though closed to traffic. The Little Bay Bridge is often referred to as the "General Sullivan Bridge" as well, because it is at the same location as the older bridge, and because of the eighteen-year period between the completion of the first Little Bay span and the opening of the second, when both the old and new bridges were in use.
General Sullivan Bridge
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
, with a through truss span to accommodate ship traffic, that formerly carried the roads that now travel over the Little Bay Bridge. Completed in 1935, the bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since the opening of the second Little Bay span in 1984.
The bridge was named for John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
, a Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
, Governor of New Hampshire
Governor of New Hampshire
The Governor of the State of New Hampshire is the supreme executive magistrate of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.The governor is elected at the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Vermont, to hold...
, and delegate to the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
, who was from nearby Somersworth
Somersworth, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,477 people, 4,687 households, and 3,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,173.4 people per square mile . There were 4,841 housing units at an average density of 494.9 per square mile...
.
Since being closed to vehicular traffic, the General Sullivan has been used by pedestrians and cyclists, as the Little Bay Bridge does not have facilities for foot traffic. The older bridge is also a popular fishing spot. Despite being considered by some to be the second most historic bridge in New Hampshire (after Portsmouth's
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
Memorial Bridge
Memorial Bridge (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
The Memorial Bridge is a through truss lift bridge that carried U.S. 1 across the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Badger's Island in Kittery, Maine USA. The bridge was closed permanently to vehicle traffic on July 27, 2011, with a replacement to be built by 2014.The lift span...
), the future of the General Sullivan is uncertain.
Future plans
The Little Bay Bridge and its access roads on the Dover and Newington banks are prone to traffic congestion during morning and afternoon rush hours. The New Hampshire DOTNew Hampshire Department of Transportation
The State of New Hampshire Department of Transportation is a government agency of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The NHDOT is under the executive direction of Commissioner of Transportation George Campbell. The main office of the NHDOT is located in the J.O...
is planning a comprehensive improvement of the area.
Both bridges are under scrutiny, with four options being considered. Three call for expansion of the Little Bay Bridge to six or eight lanes and restoration of the General Sullivan as both a pedestrian/bicycle way and alternative for buses and overflow traffic. The fourth would replace all three spans with an eight lane bridge.
The eventual fate of the General Sullivan is more controversial than that of the Little Bay Bridge. The Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
regards it as a navigation hazard and favors its removal. Other opponents cite rehabilitation costing between $8 and $11 million more than razing. Bridge proponents cite its eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
External links
- "Spaulding Turnpike: Newington-Dover", NHDOT site about the project to expand or replace the Little Bay and General Sullivan bridges