Little Bay Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name = Little Bay Bridge

---

caption = The Little Bay Bridge spans the mouth of Little Bay
official_name = Little Bay Bridge
carries = US 4/NH 16/Spaulding Tpke.
crosses = Piscataqua River
locale = Dover, NH and
Newington, NH
maint = New Hampshire Department of Transportation
id = 006502010002500 (SB)
006502010002400 (NB) [cite web|url=http://nationalbridges.com/nbi_record.php|title=National Bridge Inventory Bridges - 006502010002400|author=Nationalbridges.com|accessdate=2006-09-29]
design =
mainspan =
length = 486.2 m (1,595 ft)
width = 8.5 m (27.9 ft) (each span)
height =
clearance = 6.93 m (22.7 ft)
below = 14 m (45.9 ft)
traffic = 50380 (1992)
open = 1966 (SB)
1984 (NB)
closed =
toll =
map_cue =
map_

map_text =
map_width =
coordinates =
lat = 43.1181
long = -70.82559The Little Bay Bridge is a twin span girder bridge that carries a concurrency of U.S. Route 4, NH Route 16, and the Spaulding Turnpike across the mouth of Little Bay, where it meets the Piscataqua River, between the city of Dover and the town of Newington in New Hampshire.

The first span, which is now the southbound span, was opened in 1966. The second span was opened in 1984.

Although the bridges were built to replace the older span, the Little Bay Bridges are often referred to as the "General Sullivan Bridge". This stems from the fact that the two bridges are at the same location, and the eighteen year period between the completion of the first Little Bay span and the opening of the second, when both the old and new bridges were in use.

General Sullivan Bridge

The General Sullivan Bridge is a deck truss bridge, with a through truss span to accommodate ship traffic, that formerly carried the roads that now travel over the Little Bay Bridges. Completed in 1935, the bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since the opening of the second Little Bay span in 1984.

The bridge was named for John Sullivan, a Revolutionary War General, Governor of New Hampshire, and delegate to the Continental Congress, who was from nearby Somersworth.

Since being closed to vehicular traffic, the General Sullivan has been used by pedestrians and cyclists, since the Little Bay Bridges do not have any facilities for foot traffic. The bridge is also a popular fishing spot. Despite being considered by some to be the second most historic bridge in New Hampshire (with the most historic being Portsmouth's Memorial Bridge), the future of the General Sullivan is uncertain.

Future plans

The Little Bay Bridges and the surrounding roads on both the Dover and Newington sides are a regular site of traffic congestion during the morning and afternoon rush hours. In response, the New Hampshire DOT is in the planning stages of a comprehensive improvement project for the roads in the area. Once plans are finalized, construction is expected to begin in 2008.cite web|url=http://www.newington-dover.com/caqs.shtml|title=New Hampshire Department of Transportation - Spaulding Turnpike : Newington-Dover - Commonly Asked Questions|author=New Hampshire DOT|accessdate=2006-10-03]

As for the bridges themselves, all three bridges at the site are being scrutinized. There are currently four planning options being considered.cite web|url=http://www.seacoastonline.com/2005news/02242005/news/66205.htm|title=Portsmouth Herald Local News: Sullivan Bridge’s fate is debated|author=Aronson, Emily|accessdate=2006-10-03] Three of them call for the expansion of the Little Bay Bridges to either six or eight lanes, and restoration of the General Sullivan Bridge for use as a pedestrian and bicycle way as well as use as a bus route and a possible route for overflow traffic. The fourth plan would see the elimination of both structures and replace them with a new eight lane bridge.

The eventual fate of the General Sullivan is somewhat more controversial than that of the Little Bay spans. The Coast Guard would like to see the removal of the old span, since it no longer serves its intended purpose and is seen as a navigation hazard in the channel. Others cite the fact that plans to rehabilitate the bridge are estimated to cost between $8 and $11 million more than the projected cost of removing the bridge. Those in favor of preserving the General Sullivan place emphasis of the bridge's historical value, including the recent discovery of its eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Photographs

Little Bay Bridge

General Sullivan Bridge

References

External links

* [http://www.newington-dover.com/ "Spaulding Turnpike: Newington-Dover"] , NHDOT site about the project to expand or replace the Little Bay and General Sullivan Bridges

Crossings navbox
structure = Bridges
place = Piscataqua River
bridge = Little Bay Bridge
bridge signs =
General Sullivan Bridge
upstream = Cocheco River/Salmon Falls River
Great Bay
upstream signs =
downstream = Piscataqua River Bridge
downstream signs =