Old US 2 Bridge - New Sharon, Maine

In the Franklin County town of New Sharon in central Maine was a bridge that was on a former alignment of US 2 through New Sharon. At the time of the bridge's demolition in February 2014, the New Sharon Bridge was the last known surviving pin-connected highway truss throughout the entire state of Maine. Built in 1916 by New York's Croton Bridge Company, the New Sharon Bridge spanned over the Sandy River. A couple of friends and I visited the old bridge in early September 2004. At the time, it was meant to be a temporary bridge closure.

Looking at the old truss bridge from the east.

A view of the modern bridge that carries US 2, ME 27 and ME 134 over the Sandy River.

The Sandy River looking south as seen from the bridge. This is what a lot of interior Maine looks like in the summer.

Looking east from the bridge. You can notice the steel deck and that the bridge was probably a bottleneck during its heyday. The bridge leads to a mostly dirt path.

New Sharon as seen looking west from the bridge. As you can see, a barricade has been around for a while.

The weight limit of the bridge is 3 tons, but someone took the liberty of changing the limit.

A plaque on the base of the bridge about when it was built. Looks like the bridge was built by the Croton Bridge Company in 1916.

Can't make out this plaque as well, maybe it is honoring the bridge builders or perhaps a few trustees.

Sign stating that the bridge is closed, temporarily. Unfortunately, it is now closed permanently as the bridge was demolished in 2014, some ten years after I took this photo.

Sources and Links:
Bridgehunter - New Sharon Bridge

Comments

Anonymous said…

The name of the bridge company was in fact the Groton Bridge Company of Groton, NY.

5:06 PM

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California. Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada. The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926. Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938. A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947. Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association. Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe. Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the September 1950 California Highways & Public Works during its Centennial Edition. The or...

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80. This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail. Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range. The first documented wagon crossi...

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush. The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway. In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50. The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County. That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848. During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog