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The Little Bay Bridge (occasionally referred to in the plural) refers to one or more bridges that carry road traffic across the mouth of
Little Bay Little Bay is a suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Little Bay is located 14 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of ...
where it meets the
Piscataqua River The Piscataqua River (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Pskehtekwis'') is a tidal river forming the boundary of the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Maine from its origin at the confluence of the Salmon Falls River and Cochecho River to the Atlant ...
, between the city of
Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
and the town of Newington in
New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
. The term has been in use since at least 1933. Currently, a pair of four-lane
girder bridge A girder bridge is a bridge that uses girders as the means of supporting its deck. The two most common types of modern steel girder bridges are plate and box. The term "girder" is often used interchangeably with "beam" in reference to bridge d ...
s carry a
concurrency Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
of
U.S. Route 4 U.S. Route 4 (US 4) is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from East Greenbush, New York, in the west to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the east, traversing Vermont. In New York, US 4 is signed north–south to reflect ...
,
NH Route 16 New Hampshire Route 16 (NH 16) is a , north–south state highway in New Hampshire, United States, the main road connecting the Seacoast region to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains. Much of its length is close to the border with Main ...
, and the
Spaulding Turnpike The Spaulding Turnpike is a controlled-access toll road in eastern New Hampshire. Its entire length is overlapped by New Hampshire Route 16 (NH 16). Its southern terminus is at the Portsmouth Traffic Circle (I-95/ US 1 Byp.) in Portsmouth, a ...
over the mouth of Little Bay. , the bridges carried seven motor vehicle lanes with four shoulders, and one non-motorized multi-use path.


History

The first Little Bay Bridge was a
covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...
that was made up of two spectate segments, one for wagons and mobile transportation, and one for railroad tracks. It opened to wagon traffic in December 1873 when partially completed, and began carrying rail traffic in February 1874 when it was fully completed. It was also a
for profit Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit." A business entity is not necessari ...
toll bridge. In 1888, the bridge was closed for repairs, the first of many it received. Circa 1918, rocks were placed on the bridge's piers after it had been discovered they suffered from ice-created scour. In 1928, construction began on a replacement of the functionally obsolete and structurally challenged bridge. It was completed in 1934, and was dedicated that year on September 5. It lies approximately south of the 1873–74 bridge. It cost US$1 million to build , and in early 1935 was named the "General John Sullivan Memorial Bridge" (commonly known as the General Sullivan Bridge) in honor of John Sullivan, a Revolutionary War
general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
from nearby
Somersworth Somersworth is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,855 at the 2020 census. Somersworth has the smallest area and third-lowest population of New Hampshire's 13 cities. History Prior to European settlem ...
. At this point, the original bridge was closed and slated for demolition, and after roughly 61 years of service, the original bridge was fully deconstructed by February 1935. On November 1, 1949, the bridge's
toll Toll may refer to: Transportation * Toll (fee) a fee charged for the use of a road or waterway ** Toll road, a type of road which for which payment is required for passage ** Road pricing, the modern practice of charging for road use ** Road to ...
was removed, as the
bond Bond or bonds may refer to: Common meanings * Bond (finance), a type of debt security * Bail bond, a commercial third-party guarantor of surety bonds in the United States * Fidelity bond, a type of insurance policy for employers * Chemical bond, t ...
s that required them were fully paid off. In 1950, significant repairs were made to the bridge. When built through the area, the
Spaulding Turnpike The Spaulding Turnpike is a controlled-access toll road in eastern New Hampshire. Its entire length is overlapped by New Hampshire Route 16 (NH 16). Its southern terminus is at the Portsmouth Traffic Circle (I-95/ US 1 Byp.) in Portsmouth, a ...
was routed over the bridge in 1956. However, knowing its two laned roadway as a highly likely
bottleneck Bottleneck may refer to: * the narrowed portion (neck) of a bottle Science and technology * Bottleneck (engineering), where the performance of an entire system is limited by a single component * Bottleneck (network), in a communication network * ...
, a second span was to be built in the future. On September 28, 1966, the Eastern Turnpike Bridge, a two-lane girder bridge that costed US$3 million , was opened. Upon its opening, the existing General Sullivan Bridge was converted to serving southbound traffic only; this doubled the capacity of the crossing from what it was prior. In 1984, the Capt. John F. Rowe Bridge, named after
merchant A merchant is a person who trades in goods produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Merchants have been known for as long as humans have engaged in trade and commerce. Merchants and merchant networks operated i ...
John Rowe, was completed. It was a new
twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of Twin Last Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two ...
of the Rowe Bridge to carry northbound traffic. Southbound traffic was moved onto the 1966 bridge, and the General Sullivan Bridge was repurposed as a pedestrian walkway; this made it a highly popular fishing spot in the area. In 1988, the Sullivan bridge was deemed eligible for the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. In 2010, fencing was installed on the General Sullivan Bridge to warn pedestrians about a new capacity limit enacted onto specific areas, this was done due to concerns about the bridge's poor structural condition. That next year, the bridge was repaired, and the Dover approach was rebuilt into a curved ramp to allow construction. The Little Bay Bridge and its access roads on the Dover and Newington banks had been prone to
traffic congestion Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s, resulting in m ...
during morning and afternoon rush hours. The New Hampshire DOT planned a comprehensive improvement of the area. All three bridges were under scrutiny, with four options considered. Three called for expansion of the Little Bay Bridge to six or eight lanes and restoration of the General Sullivan as both a pedestrian/bicycle way and alternative for buses and overflow traffic. The fourth would have replaced all three spans with an eight lane bridge. Ultimately, a second span was chosen however. Work on a new bridge began circa 2011, and was completed in November 2013 to temporarily ease traffic congestion across the Rowe bridge. It is physically located between the original Rowe and General Sullivan Bridge. Once the Griffin bridge was completed, all traffic from the Rowe bridge was moved to it, so both of the Rowe bridges could be closed for renovations and replacement of the divided decks with a unified road deck. Renovations were completed in November 2015, although the Rowe bridge remained closed for several years due to significant realignment work on the nearby
U.S. Route 4 U.S. Route 4 (US 4) is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from East Greenbush, New York, in the west to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the east, traversing Vermont. In New York, US 4 is signed north–south to reflect ...
interchange. In 2015, the mid-section of the General Sullivan Bridge was closed off due to worsening condition, this rendered the bridge functionally obsolete. In June 2018, the 2013 bridge was officially named the Ruth L. Griffin Bridge, named for a 20-year member of the
Executive Council of New Hampshire The Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire (colloquially referred to as the Governor's Council) is the executive body of New Hampshire in the United States. The Executive Council advises the Governor on all matters and provides a check o ...
. Griffin died in August 2024, aged 99. In September 2018, the General Sullivan Bridge was permanently closed for all uses, due to safety concerns that it was unsound. Two lanes of Northbound traffic returned to the newly rebuilt Rowe bridge in December 2018. The third northbound lane on the Rowe Bridge was opened on May 23, 2019. All four lanes of the Griffin bridge were opened to southbound traffic on July 20, 2019. A non-motorized multi-use path was opened on the northbound shoulder in August 2019. On April 21, 2020, a new lane pattern was established on the Griffin Bridge. A new merging pattern onto the Rowe bridge, better enabling traffic from U.S. Route 4 and the Spaulding Turnpike to utilize the four lanes, went into effect in April 2020. By June 2020, the project was substantially completed, with the shoulders and signage being finalized.


Future

While the General Sullivan Bridge "is nationally significant... as an early and highly influential example of continuous truss highway design in the United States", its future is uncertain. The
Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...
regards it as a navigation hazard and favors its removal. Bridge proponents cite its eligibility for listing on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. While the Rowe bridge was built to accommodate four lanes of northbound motorized traffic, its current configuration is limited to three lanes in order to accommodate a non-motorized multi-use path, the removal of which would be enabled by restoration or replacement of the General Sullivan Bridge, giving that effort additional relevance. As of July 2018, restored pedestrian and bicycle access to the General Sullivan Bridge was planned for the summer of 2022. As of January 2020, "the state’s plan now is to build a new bridge on the existing
pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...
s". The new bridge was expected to be a multi-use path. In February 2023, the
New Hampshire Department of Transportation The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) is a government agency of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The Commissioner of NHDOT is Victoria Sheehan. The main office of the NHDOT is located in the J. O. Morton Building in Concord, N ...
(NH DOT) estimated the cost of replacing the original bridge with a bicycle and pedestrian walkway at $34.8 million, with a 2026 completion date. In June 2023, $20 million was allocated for the project from the federal
Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) is an American federal government program administered by the United States Department of Transportation. Originally known as Transportation Investment Generating Economi ...
(RAISE) program. In August 2023, NH DOT put the General Sullivan Bridge up for sale, but did not receive any offers. In September 2023, bidding for the replacement project came in at over $80 million, potentially delaying efforts. In September 2024, it was reported that plans were in development for a less expensive bridge for pedestrians and bicycles.


In popular culture

Although unnamed, the General Sullivan Bridge appeared in a 1997 episode of ''
WWF Monday Night Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Netflix. The show features characters ...
'', when
Steve Austin Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson and later Steven James Williams; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, producer and retired Professional wrestling, profes ...
threw the
WWE Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roster, alo ...
belt (then belonging to The Rock) into the river below.


Gallery

File:General Sullivan Bridge 01.jpg, The Sullivan bridge as seen from Hilton Park on Dover Point File:Little Bay Bridges 01.jpg, The Capt. John F. Rowe Bridge, prior to reconstruction File:General Sullivan Bridge 02.jpg, The Sullivan Bridges plaque, which reads "U.S. Public Works Project Docket No. 752" File:Little Bay Bridges 02.jpg, The Capt. John F. Rowe Bridge, prior to reconstruction File:General Sullivan Bridge 03.JPG, The Sullivan bridge, as seen from Wagon Hill Park in nearby
Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city in north east England **County Durham, a ceremonial county which includes Durham *Durham, North Carolina, a city in North Carolina, United States Durham may also refer to: Places ...
File:Little Bay Bridges 03.jpg, Dover abutment of the Rowe Bridge, prior to reconstruction File:Little Bay Bridges 04.jpg, Underside of the Rowe bridge, showing the dual two-lane spans


See also

* *


References


Further reading

* *


External links


Spaulding Turnpike Newington-Dover
Website by NHDOT detailing the expansion project, including work on the Griffin and Rowe bridges {{Crossings navbox , structure = Bridges , place =
Piscataqua River The Piscataqua River (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Pskehtekwis'') is a tidal river forming the boundary of the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Maine from its origin at the confluence of the Salmon Falls River and Cochecho River to the Atlant ...
, bridge = Little Bay Bridge , bridge signs = , upstream =
Cocheco River The Cochecho River (incorrectly Cocheco River) is a tributary of the Piscataqua River, long, in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It rises in northern Strafford County and runs southeastward, through the town of Farmington and the cities of Roc ...
/
Salmon Falls River The Salmon Falls River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire. It rises at Great East Lake, Newichawannock Canal, and Horn Pond and flows south-southeast for approximately , forming the border b ...

Great Bay , upstream signs = , downstream =
Piscataqua River Bridge The Piscataqua River Bridge is a through arch bridge that crosses the Piscataqua River, connecting Portsmouth, New Hampshire with Kittery, Maine, United States. Carrying six lanes of Interstate 95, the bridge is the third modern span and first f ...
, downstream signs = Bridges completed in 1873 Bridges completed in 1874 Bridges completed in 1934 Bridges completed in 1966 Bridges completed in 1984 Bridges completed in 2013 Bridges in Rockingham County, New Hampshire Bridges in Strafford County, New Hampshire Road bridges in New Hampshire Buildings and structures in Dover, New Hampshire Newington, New Hampshire U.S. Route 4 Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System Girder bridges in the United States Truss bridges in the United States