Piscataqua River Bridge

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Piscataqua River Bridge

Overview
The Piscataqua River Bridge is a steel through-arch bridge that carries six lanes of Interstate 95 across the Piscataqua River, connecting Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with Kittery, Maine. It is about 1,372.5 meters (4,503 feet) long and 29.9 meters (98 feet) wide, with 7.1 meters (23.3 feet) of clearance above and 41.1 meters (134.8 feet) of clearance below.

What it is and why it was built
This bridge is the third modern span between Portsmouth and Kittery and the first fixed crossing (no movable roadway) for Interstate traffic in the area. The nearby Memorial Bridge and Sarah Mildred Long Bridge are lift bridges used for ship traffic. The fixed crossing was built to connect I-95 across the river as part of expanding the Interstate Highway System in the region.

History and construction
Plans for a fixed crossing were published as early as 1967. Construction began in 1968 and was finished in 1971. The bridge opened on November 1, 1972, with the I-95 extension into Maine completed soon after. The bridge won awards for its design and construction, including a 1973 award from the American Institute of Steel Construction and a 1974 national recognition from the U.S. Department of Transportation. It was repainted in the early 2000s, and a major rehabilitation project took place starting in 2019, expected to finish around 2022.

Safety, incidents, and ongoing concerns
A serious accident during construction occurred on June 24, 1970, when two I-beams failed, causing four workers to fall to their deaths. A memorial plaque on the Maine side honors them.

Since it opened, there have been several suicides and suicide attempts on or near the bridge, prompting safety measures such as signs with crisis and helpline information. Notable incidents over the years include various jump attempts and fatal events, a few police-involved incidents, and a 2024 officer fatality on the Maine side. In 2025, there were multiple suicides reported, leading to renewed efforts by officials to discuss and implement suicide prevention measures, including considering suicide barriers for the bridge.

Current role
Today, the Piscataqua River Bridge remains a key fixed crossing for I-95, helping to move people and goods between New Hampshire and Maine while avoiding the need for movable bridges that could slow interstate traffic.