Penobscot Bridge Improvements (demolished) - Bangor ME

City:: Bangor, ME
Site Type:: Infrastructure and Utilities, Roads, Bridges, and Tunnels
New Deal Agencies:: Public Works Funding, Public Works Administration (PWA)
Started:: 1934
Completed:: 1934
Quality of Information:: Very Good
Marked:: Unknown
Site Survival:: No Longer Extant

Description

The Penobscot Bridge was a steel Baltimore through truss bridge connecting Bangor and Brewer. Construction was completed in 1911 and the bridge was replaced with the current Joshua Chamberlain bridge in 1954.

According to the Bangor Daily News, this was the first Public Works Administration (PWA) project in the city. The project involved changing the approach by widening the Washington Street side and rounding off the sharp corners of the bridge which Bangor and Brewer officials considered dangerous. Work was preceded by the Maine Central RR changing its tracks and the telephone company changing some of its cables. Work began in mid January with a small crew of mostly steel workers and cost was estimated at $12,000. By February 23, 16 men were employed as the steel arrived. According to PWA rules men worked seven 1/2 hours per day for 4 days for a total of 30 hours at N.R.A. wage scale. 23 men were employed in two crews to expedite the work and shorten traffic delays. Work was completed some time in April.