Penobscot River Bridge

The Penobscot River Bridge is a truss bridge structure crossing the Penobscot River, connecting Bangor and Brewer with a length of about 200 meters. Its framework uses a metal construction system that was typical of engineering projects from that era.

The structure was built by the American Bridge Company in 1902 and received additional construction work from Boston Bridge Works in 1911. This extended timeline shows how the project was completed in stages over nearly a decade.

The structure shows early 20th-century engineering methods and remains the last Baltimore through-truss bridge design in Maine, representing a building approach that was innovative for its time.

The crossing is possible on foot and provides views of the river and surrounding urban landscape. It is worth observing the structure from different angles to fully appreciate its construction details.

The bridge was replaced in 1997 by a newer structure after its load capacity had significantly declined due to age. What once carried up to 15 tons had been restricted to just 3 tons by the end of its operational life.