Lovejoy Bridge, Andover, Maine
This bridge, built in 1868, is 70 feet long and spans the Ellis River. It has Paddleford trusses and is Maine's shortest covered bridge.
Hemlock Bridge, Fryeburg, Maine
Hemlock Bridge, built in 1857, is a 109 foot Paddleford truss strengthened with laminated wooden arches. It was built on granite abutments since it was located in a floodplain.
Bennett Bridge, Lincoln Plantation, Maine
The Bennett Bridge, built in 1901, spans the Magalloway River in the vicinity of Wilson’s Mills and Lincoln Plantation.
Babbs Bridge, Windham/Gorham, Maine
Babbs Bridge, Maine’s oldest covered bridge was
Historic Covered Bridges
There are no records of the men who built Maine's covered bridges. Available town documents show that the chief concern of the thrifty citizens at town meetings was the amount of money their new bridge was to cost - which was entered to the last odd cent - and a brief line or two about its manner of construction.
Historic Bridges in Maine
In 1959, the 99th Maine legislature took a major step by enacting a law to preserve Maine's wooden covered bridges. The new law provided that state money could be used to save and renovate covered bridges. As a result, in 1961 the Department of Transportation undertook major renovations to the 10 remaining covered bridges.
Bridge Postings
There are two common types of bridge posting: vertical clearance and weight. Both postings require signs on or at the bridge, and advanced warning signs.
Frank J. Wood Bridge Environmental Process and Review
The Frank J. Wood Bridge (#2016) carries Route 201 over the Androscoggin River on the Brunswick-Topsham town line. MaineDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have concluded the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.
Inspections
The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) inspects all bridges and minor spans on public ways every two years in accordance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) (PDF) and MaineDOT’s Bridge Management Coding Guides. The collected data (for bridges only) is reported annually to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and is used for determining safe load capacities and candidates for MaineDOT’s bridge capital and maintenance work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Select a question below to view the answer.
- What is a “bridge?"
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A "bridge" is defined as having a span length of more than 20 feet, in accordance with Federal law. It also includes multiple pipes over a certain size.
- What is a “minor span?"
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A "minor span" is defined as having a span length of 10 to 20 feet.