 | Repairs on the Swinging Bridge have begun! The bridge is currently closed to foot traffic and will open no later than December 16, so this year’s round of repairs can be completed. For this update, we’d like to give you a tour of the bridge repairs to see just how your contributions are helping this Maine landmark thrive. |
This year’s inspection was conducted by Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, and their observations were passed along to us to guide our use of the funds for repairs. Now, we’d like to take a moment to emphasize that while we’re about to give a play-by-play of various damages and stresses the Swinging Bridge needs fixed, that this is all pretty routine. Repairs and maintenance are the reason we do what we do in the first place, and all in all, this roundup of bridge maintenance required will probably sound worse than it actually is. So as you read through this list of things that need fixing on the Swinging Bridge, keep in mind--they are being fixed even as you read these words!
| Of the most concern is the Brunswick tower--noted as being in poor condition--the double channels at the base of the downstream tower have dirt and debris causing rust with a number of worn rivet heads, with a noticeable deflection of the channel webs. The lacing bars in the horizontal bracing members are rusted and broken, and the easterly inclined column has a deformed flange. The lacing bars in the horizontal bracing members have rusted and broken, and the diagonal bracing members have been cut and spliced with steel plates on a previous repair. |  The base of the Brunswick tower, with worn rivet heads and rust. |
The Topsham tower is in better condition having gone through a upgrade prior to the 2006 total rehabilitation, although the upstream saddle has a crack forming in the corner. The connections of the bracing members have rust and laminar corrosion, and the welded connection to the sotheasterly anchor bolt has failed, with the bolt no longer attached to the base plate.
 A worn deck board, soon to be replaced. | The condition of the deck was noticed to be satisfactory, though there are numerous boards which are split, warped, and/or springy underfoot, with multiple fasteners that need replacement or adjusting. Luckily, as we wrote last time, Hammond Lumber has generously donated the wood necessary to fix the span. The bridge rail is in good condition, and while there is some surface rust the rail posts and fence don’t appear to be deteriorating. |
| The main cables, suspenders, secondary cables, and their connections were considered to be in fair condition. The main cables show some paint failure and corrosion, and several wires have broken along the main cables. The secondary cables are slack to the touch and kinked at several places along the main cables, where they’re attached to the suspenders with wire rope clamps. |  A bridge cable, showing evidence of rust. |
While the main cables are laid smoothly over the tower saddles, the secondary cables share the same saddle and ended up laid atop the main cables, with the secondary cables spliced directly over the saddle on the Topsham side, resulting in congestion at a critical location
The abutments and anchor vaults are in fair condition, with cracks in the concrete and debris and sand in the vaults, which needs to be cleaned to keep the steel hardware inside dry. The longitudinal stringers are in good condition with no decay, and the transverse floorbeams are likewise in good condition, though physical inspection showed there to be some surface rust.
The abutments and anchor vaults are in fair condition, with cracks in the concrete and debris and sand in the vaults, which needs to be cleaned to keep the steel hardware inside dry. The longitudinal stringers are in good condition with no decay, and the transverse floorbeams are likewise in good condition, though physical inspection showed there to be some surface rust.
And that about sums it up the key points of maintenance needed on the bridge! As the repair crews take the time to address these issues and others, we’d like to thank you again for your contributions that helped make these repairs happen, whether you donated to have a name engraved on a brick in the base of the bridge, or you ran in our Virtual 5K, or even just kicked in a few dollars where you could, you helped make these repairs happen. Something to keep in mind when you visit the bridge when it opens again in December!
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