Crossing the Piscataqua River at Portsmouth, N.H., the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge carries both road and rail traffic between Maine and New Hampshire. Its unique three-position vertical lift design accommodates recreational and less frequent commercial marine traffic, as well as occasional rail movements, in different ways to minimize delays to all users. To understand the functioning of this modern incarnation of its nearly 80-year old predecessor, we talk with Jeff Folsom, who is Assistant Program Manager/Design for the Maine Department of Transportation.
Crossing the Piscataqua River at Portsmouth, N.H., the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge carries both road and rail traffic between Maine and New Hampshire. Its unique three-position vertical lift design accommodates recreational and less frequent commercial