Two Cent Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name= Two Cent Bridge


caption= View from the Waterville side of the bridge
official_name= Ticonic Footbridge
also_known_as=
carries= Pedestrians
crosses= Kennebec River
locale= Waterville/Winslow, Maine
maint=
id=
design= suspension bridge
mainspan= convert|400|ft|m|0
length=
width= convert|6|ft|m|0
clearance=
below=
traffic=
open= 1903
closed=
map_cue=
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map_text=
map_width=
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The Ticonic Footbridge, usually called the Two Cent Bridge, is a suspension bridge that traverses the Kennebec River between the cities of Waterville and Winslow in Maine. It is one of the oldest surviving wire-cable steel suspension bridges and also is considered to be the last known extant toll footbridge in the United States.

History

The original footbridge was constructed in 1901. It was intended to give workers coming from Temple Street in Waterville easy access to the Hollingsworth & Whitney Company (later, the Scott Paper Company), factories located directly just across the Kennebec in Winslow. The original toll was one cent, which was collected at a booth on the Waterville side of the river. However, less than a year after its opening, on December 15, 1901, the bridge was washed away by high water levels.

The bridge was rebuilt in 1903. The second incarnation of the Ticonic proved to be sturdier, and continued to serve the local population for many years. The toll crossing rose from a penny to two cents--whence the bridge procured its most popular name. In 1960 the toll was abolished altogether, when the owners of the bridge gave it to the city of Waterville as a gift.

Preservation and restoration

The Two Cent Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. While considerable efforts have been undertaken to maintain the bridge, it has been closed at various points over the years when conditions have made foot crossings unsafe.

In 1995, the Ticonic suffered severe structural damage when hundreds of people attending a nearby concert converged on the footpath, straining the bridge's weight and tension limits. The bridge was immediately closed and stablized; complete restoration took several years. The historic tollbooth was removed but was later restored and replaced at the bridge.

Currently, many civic organizations in the Waterville-Winslow area, including the local Rotary Club, dedicate funds to the bridge's upkeep.

References

* [http://www.aulson.com/painting_coating_projects.cfm?WhatID=21 A brief history and information on the 1990s restoration]
* [http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/me/kennebec/state3.html National Register of Historic Places listing]
* [http://www.bridgemeister.com/bridge.php?bid=110 Bridge construction details]
* "Two Cent Bridge important to waterfront development" Amy Calder, "Kennebec Journal," August 2, 2004