Androscoggin Swinging Bridge - Topsham, ME
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NorStar
N 43° 55.045 W 069° 58.343
19T E 421931 N 4863160
The Androscoggin Swinging Bridge, designated a local Civil Engineering Landmark by the Maine Section of the ASCE, is a pedestrian suspension bridge that allowed people to cross the river to the mill.
Waymark Code: WMPPGF
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 10/01/2015
Views: 4
In Topsham, near U.S. 1, is the Androscoggin Swinging Bridge, which has been designated a local Civil Engineering Landmark.
The bridge is located on the north side of U.S. Route 1, about a third mile west of the intersection with Main Street and the center of Brunswick. At the location is a very small parking lot - room for about eight years. It actually may be easier to park on the other side - a little harder to get to.
The bridge is open for pedestrians today to cross. It is a suspension bridge with towers on opposite banks of the river and the cables strung between them.
According to the Wikipedia entry, the bridge was built in 1892 so that people in Topsham Heights could cross the Androscoggin River to work at the mill in Brunswick.
The original towers were made of wood. In the early 1900s, the wooden were replaced by steel structures. In 1936, a flood destroyed the bridge superstructure, replaced in 1938. The bridge was heavily renovated in 2007.
A Maine Section Civil Engineering Landmark plaque is located on the east (Brunswick) end of the bridge, right by the path.
The link to the Maine Section of ASCE is not ideal. The link is not exactly to the designation page, but there are pictures of the bridge on it. Any links to the web site including their history and heritage page and a link to a pdf of Maine Section Engineering Landmarks is broken (Oct. 2015).
Location:
Off U.S. Route 1 and Bridge Street, spanning the Androscoggin River.
Type of structure/site: Bridge
Date of Construction: 1/1/1892
Engineer/Architect/Builder etc.: John A. Roebling's Sons Company
Engineering Organization Listing: American Society of Civil Engineers
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Web Site: [Web Link]
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