Blog Posts

Repairs, Rails, and Requests: The Future of the Swinging Bridge

4/1/2021

Welcome back! If you remember, a few months ago we took you on a tour of bridge maintenance and what work needed to be done that your participation in our Virtual 5K helped us fund. This week, we're going to share with you the progress of those repairs and what needs to still be done!

To start, we're happy to report that repairs are coming along on schedule. Because of weather and temperature conditions, not all the necessary repairs could be completed during the winter. However, the winter repairs have been completed, and spring work is on the docket to start very soon. The winter repairs included, among other things:

Repairs to the broken weld on the northeast anchor bolt on the Topsham tower
Replacing 40 loose, soft, or degraded deck boards
Replacing broken lacing bars in the horizontal struts at the Brunswick tower
Ensuring eye bolt connections on all floor beams were tightened
Replacement of rails at the bottom of the Brunswick tower

These have been completed by CPM Constructors of Freeport and they will be painting soon. The town of Brunswick will be paying for the remaining work on the Brunswick tower, while SOSB will be paying for the rest of the bridge work.

New rail installed at the base of the Brunswick tower.

40 brand new deck boards now adorn the span of the bridge.

It appears that repairs will come under projected costs, but Nancy E Randolph, Treasurer of the Swinging Bridge cautioned, “The repair fund is drained to an uncomfortable level, knowing that there are always repairs and maintenance to be done on our beloved bridge.”

Again this year we won’t be able to schedule our annual benefit 5K event, following CDC guidelines, so we’re calling on everyone who loves the Swinging Bridge to show your support with any amount you can, to be added to the repair fund. We have a special gift for those who donate $50 or more, a T-shirt designed for those who showed support during the pandemic. As always, you can donate to have an engraved brick installed at the base of the bridge. For details on brick donation, click here.

The people of Topsham and Brunswick continue to love, use, and support this historic bridge. All donations large and small will keep our bridge swinging far into the future.

DONATE TO SUPPORT THE SWINGING BRIDGE

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This Bridge Swings Over the Androscoggin

3/25/2021

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The History of the Swinging Bridge as Featured In Memories of Maine Magazine

Built in 1892, the Swinging Bridge has served many thousands of people of all ages. Photo Nancy E. Randolph

Originally built to accommodate woolen mill workers from a new housing development in the 17th Century, the Androscoggin Swinging Bridge (Swinging Bridge) has served many thousands of people of all ages who have used it to walk back and forth to school, to church, to entertainments, to visit family and friends, to shop, and recreation. It is an integral part of the Topsham and Brunswick community and a popular stopping point for people driving along Route 1 who want a scenic view of the Androscoggin River or a peaceful pause in their vacation travel.

Completed in September of that year, the final construction costs tallied up to about $2,000, which, adjusted for inflation, would be about $56,700. The Topsham Land Company had intended for the bridge to be accepted as a public way when the bridge became a common necessity. They did not promise to maintain it.

After many years of refusing to accept the swinging bridge as a public way, in 1906, the Swinging Bridge was so designated. Brunswick and Topsham became jointly responsible for bridge maintenance. Between 1913 and 1916, the bridge’s timber-framed towers were replaced with steel presumably by South Portland steel fabrication company Meguire & Jones.

Disaster struck in 1936 as a flood destroyed the bridge’s decking and railings, sweeping away the entire deck and rendering it completely unusable. However, the steel towers and original suspension cables survived. The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) replaced the span and resurfaced the bases of the towers with concrete in 1938.

In 1936 a flood destroyed the bridge’s decking and railings, sweeping away the entire deck. Paul Cunningham collection

This would be the last significant repair the bridge would receive until the turn of the 21st century. In 2000, a study jointly contracted by Brunswick and Topsham found the bridge in a distressing state: 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 appointed a committee of residents from both towns to raise funds and restore the bridge. The citizen’s group did just that. Securing finances from the Maine Department of Transportation as well as corporate grants and private funds, the group oversaw renovation and restoration of the swinging bridge, reopening it to the public 2006.

Kathryn G. Dodge, Ph.D., a great, great, great granddaughter of John A. Roebling, spoke during the grand-reopening of the Swinging Bridge in 2007. Photo Craig Snapp

Over the years, although nearly all the bridge’s components had been replaced—from the handrails, to the planks, to the beams—the original “Roebling wire rope” cables built into the structure in 1892 still support the bridge. The year after the 21st Century superstructure rehabilitation, saw the opening of public parks on either end of the bridge. Two of John A. Roebling’s great-great-great granddaughters attended the reopening and dedication ceremony on September 8, 2007.

The Androscoggin Swinging Bridge now spans the Androscoggin Riverwalk, enjoying routine foot traffic from Brunswick and Topsham--locals and tourists alike. In 2009, three citizens, Elizabeth Glover (Brunswick), Roger Caouette (Topsham), and Nancy E. Randolph (Topsham) created a 501(c)3 nonprofit: the Save Our Swinging Bridge Org with a mission to provide for the maintenance and the beautification of the historic Androscoggin Swinging Bridge and its environment in order that the public may enjoy the benefits of an historic pedestrian bridge for transportation, education, recreation, exercise, access to river views and community and cultural linkage between the towns of Brunswick and Topsham.

Maintenance continues even during the pandemic. CPM Constructors with the guidance of Hoyle- Tanner Engineers inspected the bridge and performed all needed repairs (respectively). Funds for repairs are raised through annual 5k runs and 2k walks, donations for engraved bricks and contributions throughout the year.

This bridge is historic and an area icon that people support and use all year round. Donations will keep it swinging far into the future.

This article was featured in the March 2021 issue of Memories of Maine Magazine. You can pick up your copy at your local retailer of magazines, or you can subscribe on their website!

Memories of Maine Magazine

Donate to Support the Swinging Bridge

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We Love the Swinging Bridge

3/11/2021

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Welcome back! It’s been some time since our last update, and with all the repairs it’s been a busy time for the Swinging Bridge. And to kick off this cycle of updates, we thought we’d take a look at some of the love you’ve all shown in photos for our favorite suspension footbridge!

Now, many of you probably don’t need to use Google Maps to get to the Swinging Bridge. Most of us can just find our way there simply enough on foot. But if you go to the Google Maps page for the bridge, you’ll find something slightly spectacular—a sweeping gallery of pictures people have shared over the years, showing their love for the Androscoggin Swinging Bridge!

Photo by Melissa C.

All times, all seasons, from many different angles, people come to the Swinging Bridge and take pictures and share them with the world. Some are taken from the base of the bridge, some from the span, some from a distance, or maybe of the surrounding scenery. Someone might come to the bridge to strike a pose, or bring their family. Dogs are popular subjects for pictures, as are the local population of ducks.

And best of all, you can go to Google Maps yourself and add your own! Simply find the Androscoggin Swinging Bridge on Google Maps—or just follow this link- and upload your own pictures to Google Maps!

Thank you for all the ways you show your love for the Swinging Bridge. Keep an eye out for more updates, because we’ve got plenty in store—status of the repairs, what’s next for the bridge, and how you can support it!

Don't forget, you can always support the Swinging Bridge by donating!

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Bridge Repairs Begun

11/21/2020

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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.

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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Bridge Repair Funded! Gratitudes, Inspections, and Other Updates

11/12/2020

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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.

Firstoff, we’d like to extend another hearty thank you to everyone who participated in the Virtual 5K this year. In many ways, this year’s event was more of a challenge for everyone involved, from the organization of a kind of event we’ve never done before to all the runners who had to leg it out there all on their own, and while the take was more modest than previous years, you all came through for the Swinging Bridge and we truly can’t thank you enough.

And as a result of your running, walking, sponsorship, and donating efforts the cost of inspection and repairs for the Androscoggin Swinging Bridge for this year has been fully funded! A number of parties and factors came together to make it happen, but we really can’t overstate the importance of your contributions this year and every year. Though in truth, this year we managed to hit that magic number by a much slimmer margin than in years past.

A key part of the funding for repairs is being provided by the town of Brunswick. The Town Council voted to spend the necessary money to fund the repairs to the base of the bridge on the Brunswick side! Nancy E. Randolph. Treasurer of the Save Our Swinging Bridge Org contacted Brunswick's Town Manager and attended the Town Council meeting on November 2 to ask the town of Brunswick to provide the necessary funds for the repairs. She said, "They voted overwhelmingly to approve. We were so relieved that the repairs can begin Monday, November 16."

On top of Brunswick's funding, Hammond Lumber has offered to provide the lumber needed to replace a number of the Swinging Bridge’s decking boards. This is a bit of a case of proactive maintenance, as part of the inspection turned up some wear on the boards that’ll eventually end up causing tripping hazards, so thanks to Hammond Lumber, we’re able to nip this one in the bud before it becomes a real issue.

Unfortunately, not all of the news is rosy. Randolph continued, "While we did manage to raise the funds necessary to do this year’s bridge repairs--and make no mistake, between your contributions, the virtual 5K, the town of Brunswick, Hammond Lumber, we will empty our nonprofit's maintenance fund to pay for all repairs, maintenance and adjustments to the bridge."

Of course, that’s the exact reason this organization has built up cash in the bank. William Brillant, Chair of SOSB, said, "We’ll run pretty close to empty when all the bills are paid." To that end, the SOSB asks for your donation again this month, because even a small donation can go a long way.

Thank you again for all your support, past, and future, and make sure to watch this space for future updates on the state of your favorite bridge!

-Sincerely

The Swinging Bridge Minion

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We Have a Winner!

9/24/2020

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Last week, at noon on the 15th of September, the Virtual 5K run and 2K family walk wrapped up, and we’d like to thank all of you again for turning out and showing your support! This week, we’re going to distribute some of the prizes from our sponsors that we talked about a few weeks ago!

First to Finish: The first to complete this year’s 5K was Paul Yates! We’ve actually featured Paul on this blog before since he’s one of our Perfect Attendance Runners! For being an early bird and hitting the pavement first thing, Paul will be taking home a $25 gift card to Pepper’s Landing!

Last to Finish: Everyone does their 5K at their own pace, and how fast you navigate it isn’t nearly as important as how you finish. This year, our final finishers Zeke Zucker and Yuen Chun completed their 5K together, and they’ll each be taking home coupons for three small dishes of gelato at Gelato Fiasco!

Youngest Runner: At the age of 16, Isaac Gower-Hall was the youngest runner to participate in this year’s event! For his part in helping support the Swinging Bridge, he’s landed himself a $25 gift card to Gelato Fiasco! Enjoy!

Oldest Runner: Jerry Lavasser, another one of our Perfect Attendance Runners and an experienced runner, was the oldest runner to participate this year at 82. His continued support over the years and commitment to keep running just netted him a $25 gift card to Pepper’s Landing!

Most Retro Running Outfit: We admit that wearing blue jeans to a 5K would not be our first choice, but really, everything goes with a SOSB shirt. By donning the shirt he earned at last year’s SOSB event, his support and loyalty has earned Don Gower a $25 gift card to Gelato Fiasco.

So congratulations to all of our prize winners! And to all of you who took part this year, we thank you again. We’re looking forward to seeing you at next year’s event!

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Perfect Attendance

9/17/2020

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Every year the 5K Run and 2K Family Walk sees attendance from newcomers and familiar faces alike. But through all seventeen years of our hosting this event, three runners have made sure to show up. On this week’s blog, we’re going to share with you all a little bit about those three!

Jerry Levasseur is always the first to register for our event every year, signing up by paper and mailing it in. An avid runner since the age of 30, he has placed first in age group competitions for over 1,000 events, and is most proud of being a “senior athlete.”

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.

Paul Yates was the first of our participants to complete their run this year, with a time of 36:48. Opting to run the 5K run’s usual yearly course from the Swinging Bridge through the Androscoggin Riverwalk, he remembers how “in previous years, the Swinging Bridge really swayed with lots of runners on it,” and that this year it “got pretty lonely out there”.

Norman Morgan, who completed his run with a time of 26:45, sent along a personal anecdote with his photo and time: “My sister, Jonica, ran the race a couple of times. She passed away in February after struggling with cancer for 4 years. Since then I have taken her on all of my runs in the form of a photo button on my shirt. Dedicated this run to her. Thanks for making this year’s race happen.”

Though this year’s 5K was unorthodox, that didn’t stop our runners with perfect attendance from chalking up another successful run and doing their part to keep the Swinging Bridge swinging. So to all three of our all-timers, thank you, and thank you to everyone else who took part this year!

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Completion and Registration Dates Extended, and What to Do When You've Finished Your Run

9/11/2020

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Hi there! How’s your run going? Finished your 2K family walk yet? This week, we’ll be sharing with you a quick refresher on how to post the results of your Virtual 5K- but first, we’re here to tell you that the registration and completion dates have been extended!

Registration closes at midnight on September 13, so you have two more days to sign up if you haven’t yet! On top of that, you’ve now got until midnight on September 15th to finish your 5K run or 2K family walk!

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?

Take a selfie or take a picture of where you finished!
Open up your social media platform of choice; Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
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!
We'll send your t-shirt in about 3 - 4 weeks.

And that’s it! Don’t forget, we’re giving away prizes for things such as:

First Finisher
Final Finisher
Youngest Participant
Oldest Participant
Funniest Running Outfit
Most Unusual Running Outfit
Farthest from the Swinging Bridge
Second Prettiest Bridge

So if you’ve completed your run: Post those pictures! Remember, the tag is #SOSB2020! If you haven’t, get a move on! We’ll see you at the finish line!

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A Short Thank You

9/6/2020

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Are you ready to start your run and win some prizes? We’d like to extend our gratitude to some of the gracious sponsors who make our annual event possible, and this week, we’ll turn our eye so some of the restaurants that provide the prizes that can be won this year!

Sea Dog Brewing Co. is located a stone’s throw from the Swinging Bridge, on the Topsham side, and is popular for their locally-brewed drinks and great food!

Wicked Joe is dedicated to using sustainable business practices from crop to cup, making excellent fair-trade coffee right in Topsham Maine. Their Jamaican Me Crazy blend is a personal favorite!

Gelato Fiasco can be found on Maine Street in Brunswick, where you’ll find a rotating menu of terrific Italian-inspired ice creams.

Fairground Cafe in the Topsham Fair Mall serves up comfort food in a rustic, homey atmosphere. If you’ve never had their cheesesteak sandwiches, you should probably fix that.

Pedro O’Hara’s mixes American, Mexican, and Irish cuisine in a pub-style restaurant that makes it a unique place to dine.

To each and every sponsor, we’d like to give a hearty thank-you. Your contributions help keep our annual events going.

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#LoveOurSwingingBridge

8/27/2020

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For this week’s blog post, we want to hear from you!

The Androscoggin Swinging Bridge is our most cherished places in Maine, and with your help, we’ve been able to restore, maintain, and enjoy it through the years. Now, we want to hear what you love about the bridge! This week, we want you to take to social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, whatever you use: and make a short video, take a picture, or write a short anecdote, sharing what it is about the Swinging Bridge that holds a special place in your heart. Once you’ve finished, post it and tag it #LoveOurSwinging Bridge. Here’s SOSB co-founder Nancy Randolph, sharing her love for the Swinging Bridge.

And while you’re here, make sure to register for our Virtual 5K run and 2K walk, or simply donate to help us reach our goal!

Don't forget to tag your post #LoveOurSwingingBridge when you make your video, photo, or story about your love for the Androscoggin Swinging Bridge.

However you show your love for the bridge, we thank you, because we can’t do this without your help.