With more than 4,500 islands off the coast of Maine, the issue of accessibility is not especially foreign. While many of the islands are uninhabited, others are far enough away that a ferry or other means of water transportation is the only link between island life and the mainland. Deer Isle has a bridge, but that wasn’t always the case. This is the story of that bridge!
Tiny Deer Isle, located off the coast of Maine in Hancock County, has a population of just under 2,000. A smaller community, this is also one of the most beautiful places in the state.
ugardener / Flickr
For the last 80-ish years, it’s been connected to the mainland by what is officially known as the Deer Isle–Sedgwick Bridge. Prior to the construction of the bridge in 1939, residents and visitors relied on a ferry system to link them with the mainland.
boston_public_library / Flickr
The bridge certainly changes accessibility. Before it was built most supplies were brought via boat from Rockland. Goods and people could also travel using a ferry that was operated for generations by a local island family. But the bridge brought new possibilities and for some, totally new lives.
ugardener / Flickr
For such a small island, the bridge feels huge. It spans 1,088-feet over the Eggemoggin Reach.
solarnu / Flickr
The bridge is so large, in part, because the area is such a haven for boating. The height in the middle is about 85-feet and the roadway carrying State Route 15 is about 98-feet above the water.
Ben Childers / Google
But the depth of the water meant the approach on either side needed to be minimal, which is why today drives will feel a steep 6.5% grade approach and a short 400-foot curve at the center of the bridge.
smilla4 / Flickr
But that’s not all that was complicated. The bridge needed to be ready for use in early summer, which meant the bulk of the work needed to be done during the winter. To make this happen, the designers Holton Duncan Robinson and David Bernard Steinman, made sure that many of the components were pre-fabricated and then assembled on-site quite quickly.
Ben Childers / Google
Today, crossing the bridge is a welcome relief for those who are only visiting for a short time.
Ba Ba Jeeper / Google And, it’s worth checking out even if you’re not planning on spending a lot of time on the other side.
What are some of your favorite islands in Maine? Do you prefer those that are more remote or the ones that, like Deer Isle, can be accessed a bit more easily? Let us know!
ugardener / Flickr
boston_public_library / Flickr
solarnu / Flickr
Ben Childers / Google
smilla4 / Flickr
Ba Ba Jeeper / Google
And, it’s worth checking out even if you’re not planning on spending a lot of time on the other side.
This isn’t the only bridge with an interesting story. In fact, most people don’t know the story behind Maine’s abandoned bridge to nowhere.
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Address: Little Deer Isle, ME 04650, USA
