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On our road trip to the Carrabassett Valley we saw a sign for a bridge.

But not just any bridge, no…

The Wire Suspension Bridge spanning the Carrabassett River in New Portland is a unique structure, the only survivor of four such bridges built in Maine in the 1800’s and probably the only such bridge still standing in the United States.

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Built in 1866, it’s definitely unique.

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The bridge was renovated in 1961, when the tower bases were capped with concrete, the towers were rebuilt, steel suspender rods were replaced by steel cables, and a new timber deck was installed. The tower framing timbers and main support cables are the original material. The span between towers is 198 feet.

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As you walk across it you can feel it sway .

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And when you watch a car drive across it the wood literally bends under the weight.

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Under the archway?

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Floor to ceiling graffiti.

Boo to that.

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Yay for autumn color though.

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An engineering marvel in its day….

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It’s stood the test of time and is still in use 158 years later.

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😊

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