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!

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.

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!

Good afternoon, Swinging Bridge Supporters! With the winding down of our Virtual 5K it’s been a bit of a spell since last we wrote, and there have been some not insignificant developments since our event wrapped up. So, let’s get right into it and get you all up to speed.

In fact, he suggested that we turn our annual event into a Virtual 5K, having experience running them himself! With his friends Yuen Chun and Zeke Zucker in tow, he completed his run this year with a time of 49:28.

That’s right, registration closes at midnight on September 13, and the virtual walk/run finishes at midnight September 15! That’s right, registration closes at midnight on September 13, and the virtual walk/run finishes at midnight September 15!

So once you’ve completed your run, what do you do?

1. Take a selfie or take a picture of where you finished!
2. Open up your social media platform of choice; Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
3. Post the picture with the tag #SOSB2020! You can post your finish time and route if you’d like, and while these are optional, we'd love to see where you were located for your run!
4. We'll send your t-shirt in about 3 - 4 weeks.​

It was, admittedly, not an easy decision to choose to hold our annual fundraiser as a virtual 5K & 2K this year. We considered a number of options, including postponing it until life resumes a sort of normalcy, but what it comes down to is that the gathering situation doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon, and the Swinging Bridge still needs our support, so our solution of holding the fundraiser in the safest way possible ended up being an effective compromise. And while doing it this way might seem limiting in some respects, this week, we’re going to be exploring the opportunities of doing a 5K in this new way. If you’re not familiar with what a virtual 5K is or how to participate this year, check out our previous blog post on how we’re handling the event this year!

Last week’s blog post was centered around the history of the Swinging Bridge and the formation of the group that preserves it to this day. This week, we’re focusing on the present- specifically, what goes into the upkeep of the bridge.

The Androscoggin Swinging Bridge is inspected for wear and damage every five years, and this year will be receiving another--one slightly overdue, in fact, but we’re a year or two behind. So we’re sharing with you a little peek behind the curtain, going into how the bridge is inspected, how it’s repaired, and how your donations make it happen.

After the towers, abutments, and cables are inspected, the engineer’s eye is turned to the span, where pins, bolts, and welds are checked for looseness or missing pieces. Coating damage is noted, cables are checked for deterioration, wood is checked for loose or rotting pieces, and supports, brackets, beams, and bracing are checked. The span itself is checked for alignment as well.

For this week’s blog, we’ve decided to shift focus a bit. Last week, we discussed the ins and outs of running a virtual 5k and how we’re handling ours this year. Today, we’d like to share the history behind why we do these runs in the first place--the Androscoggin Swinging Bridge itself.

It was in 1891 that the Topsham Land Company decided that a footbridge across the Androscoggin River would be a safer, more direct route for workers traveling to Brunswick’s Cabot cotton mill rather than the two existing vehicle bridges. Thinking that the bridge would add enough value to their lots for it to be a worthwhile investment, they contracted with the John A. Roebling Sons Co, who’d designed the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, to build it. Once the Cabot Manufacturing Co. granted an easement that allowed the bridge to connect on the Brunswick side, construction began May 19, 1892.

In 1906, the Androscoggin Swinging Bridge was given the designation, and Brunswick and Topsham became jointly responsible for bridge maintenance. Between 1913 and 1916, the bridge’s timber-framed towers were replaced with steel, possibly by South Portland steel fabrication company Mequier & Jones.

 This would be the last significant repair the bridge would receive until the turn of the century. In 2000, a study found the bridge in a distressing state of disrepair--concrete abutments cracked, wood planks rotted, and rust covering every metal component.

With pedestrian traffic limited to twenty people and the bridge not expected to survive into 2010, Brunswick and Topsham came together to appoint a committee of residents of both towns to attempt to accrue funds and restore the bridge to a usable state. Securing finances from the Department of Transportation as well as private funds, the group oversaw renovation and restoration of the swinging bridge, reopening it to the public 2006.

Though nearly every one of the bridge’s components had been replaced by this point, from the handrails to the boards to the beams, the original “ Roebling wire rope” cables built into the structure in 1892 still span the bridge to this day. The next year saw the opening of public parks on either end of the bridge. On September 8, 2007, a reopening and dedication ceremony saw the attendance of two of John A. Roebling’s great-great-great granddaughters.

In January of 2004, the Androscoggin Swinging Bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In May 2011, the bridge was dedicated as a Maine Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the Maine Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.