The recently refurbished Veterans Memorial Bridge, which replaced the old one built in 1954 at a cost of 65 million dollars, was designed by T.Y. Lin International (TYLI). Now, bridge construction has been completed, enabling better connectivity to Portland and South Portland.
Veterans Memorial Bridge, Portland and South Portland, Maine (Photo: Business Wire)
This 1610-foot bridge that caters to high-flow traffic was put together with 361 segments of precast concrete and covers over a third of a mile across the Fore River.
MaineDOT bestowed the design and build project to TYLI contractors and Reed & Reed who are both from Maine. The new bridge, expected to be in use for a century, was finished within the scheduled budget and timeframe. The old bridge was allowed to be used during construction of the new one, which greatly eased the traffic load of about 22,000 vehicles that traversed the bridge daily and also avoided hindrance to a nearby active railroad.
During the beginning of the undertaking, a number of community workshops were conducted to obtain inputs from various regional groups who would use the bridge such as pedestrians, bicyclists, elders and local residents. Keeping walkers and bicyclists in mind, a 12-foot wide path that was protected by a wall from the busy bridge was included, which offered certain panoramic spots before connecting to a current parkway trail. The visually captivating bridge with 2 lanes for traffic flowing either way has an extra service lane turning left for the extra traffic in a particular segment. The aesthetically-designed bridge includes many attributes to aid low upkeep and longevity, which are crucial as it is exposed to salt water and harsh climate. The structure honors veterans and its opening was attended by many of them.
Source: http://www.tylin.com