The Most Beautiful Bridges In Maine

The Deer Isle Bridge, constructed 1937-1939, is a brightly colored suspension bridge connecting mainland Maine with Deer Isle, an island in Penobscot Bay, by way of Little Deer Isle. Designed by Holton Robinson and David Steinman, the Deer Isle Bridge, due to wind stability issues, has since been modified to include swooping cables for support, which hang over its two narrow lanes spanning 1,088 feet across the Eggemoggin Reach.

The Penobscot Narrows Bridge is an architectural wonder; stretching 2,120 feet over the Penobscot River, the Penobscot Narrows Bridge connects Verona Island to the city of Prospect. Opening in 2006, the Penobscot Narrows Bridge was built to replace the old Waldo-Hancock Bridge next to it, a suspension bridge constructed in 1931; it was demolished that same year. The bridge also houses the Penobscot Narrows Observatory, the tallest public bridge lookout in the world at 420 feet high.

Babb’s Bridge is a historic, covered bridge built in 1864, an era characterized by horse-drawn carriages that needed safe passage across Maine’s rivers. Connecting the towns of Gorham and Windham by way of Hurricane Road, the original Babb’s Bridge stood over the Presumpscot River for more than a 100 years before it burned down in 1973 – an exact replica was constructed in its place, opening in 1976, and can still be seen today.

The New Portland Wire Bridge is a historic suspension bridge that traverses the Carrabassett River by way of Wire Bridge Road and is said to be one of the last few wire-supported bridges of its kind in the US, and possibly in the world. What was once used as a small-time road carrying travelers from the West Village of New Portland is now an ode to a bygone era, standing as a beautiful representation of architecture of the past. The exact date of this structure is unknown, but records point to c.1866 as the year of its construction – the other three bridges built during this time have been torn down and replaced; however, this one has continued to be restored and preserved up to this day.

Androscoggin Swinging Bridge, otherwise known as ‘The Swinging Bridge,’ was built in 1891 as a footbridge connecting residents of a new development, the Topsham Heights neighborhood, with a Cabot cotton mill across the Androscoggin River in Brunswick. The pedestrian-only bridge has provided thousands of workers with access to neighboring towns and has served as a significant part of the retrospective communities. The bridge has had numerous repairs over the past century, with the wood towers replaced with steel between 1913 and 1916, reconstruction after a flood in 1936, and recent repairs and restoration projects due to its rapidly declining state.

The Sunday River Bridge, built in 1872, is a historic covered bridge spanning the Sunday River. Built by famous covered bridge builder Peter Paddleford, the Sunday River Bridge has received the nickname the ‘Artists’ Covered Bridge’ due to its reputation as one of the most photographed and painted covered bridges in the state. The wooden bridge truss, a design widely used during much of the 19th century in America’s Northeast, was finally closed in 1958 after a new bridge was built downstream; visitors can still visit the bridge today.