SEACOAST BY BIKE 

David Balkin is not only a long-time Kittery resident and bike enthusiast, but also a community activist and media host. He is known best on this side of the historic Memorial Bridge as "The Great Balkini" and columnist for SeacaostNH.com. He is currently among those working to save the historic 1923 lift bridge.　

A recently funded, two-year, $2 million study is looking at replacing the two lift bridges that cross the Piscataqua River between Maine and New Hampshire with a $200 million high-rise bridge.

Currently, Memorial Bridge provides the only pedestrian and bicycle access between the two cities’ downtowns and closing it will irreparably split the communities of Kittery and Portsmouth. For those who live here it’s a disaster in waiting.

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Memorial Bridge, (built in 1923), and Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, (built in 1940), are at the end of their operating lives. The Long Bridge carries only motor vehicles and as the US1 bypass bridge routes traffic away from both downtowns. In about five years, the two bridges no longer will be safe to operate, yet both are essential to the region’s prosperity. Estimates vary considerably but $40- $60 million to rebuild and $700,000 to cover annual maintenance are figures some experts are quoting.

Transportation officials in Maine, New Hampshire and at the federal level will make the decision about the future of the two bridges. While federal funds are likely to pay for 80 percent of the work, the only federal requirement is that the river remains navigable. The rest is up to the two states.

Requests for proposals to repair the lift bridges went out when the economy was at its peak, gas was $4 per gallon, and all bids came in over budget. Instead of making incremental repairs, transportation officials, at Maine’s insistence, commissioned the previously mentioned two-year, $2 million study.

This is very bad news. If Memorial Bridge can only operate safely for five more years, two are consumed by this ill-conceived study. We need to buy back that time. Right away, we should impose the most severe weight and lift restrictions possible. No trucks bigger than pick-ups should be allowed. Lifts should be reserved for essential traffic.

A new high-rise bridge is unthinkable. Wherever this behemoth leapfrogs the river, it’s going to mirror the current Interstate 95 bridge, with the same overbearing presence. Where it takes off and lands will demand the same maze of ramps and create unfriendly neighborhood voids.

The responsible thing for both state governments to do is to send the request for proposals to repair the lift bridges back out to bid. In this depressed economy, the bids are likely to come back within budget so that the bridges can be fixed.

Memorial Bridge is unique because it’s a massive structure built on a human scale. At the time it was the longest lift span bridge in the world. In 1923 cars were few and its design by necessity served the foot traffic of the time. Its wide sidewalks still serve pedestrians and cyclists, locals and tourists alike. It’s used year round, day and night to reach in town locations on both sides of the river.

In season there’s a constant stream of foot and bicycle traffic from which everyone benefits. Removing that access cuts a complex lifeline that ultimately will cost Maine considerable tax revenues as Kittery’s burgeoning downtown withers.

For close to 300 years these two river communities rowed and waved to each other but wondered what else? They found out 86 years ago and quickly became dependent. That dependence is more robust than ever and there’s a full-scale ruckus brewing to save our communities when an unfeeling bureaucracy administers away its way of life.

Even though most reading this aren’t directly affected, it’s everyone’s ox that’s being gored. I hope you will join with us in urging our elected officials and transportation departments to join the 21st century reality where cars no longer represent unimpeachable progress and must not be catered to exclusively.

VISITDavid Balkin's official web site

Copyright © 2009 by David Balkin. All rights reserved.

David Balkin serves on the board of Seacoast Area Bicycle Routes (SABR) and is a former bike shop owner, race promoter, newspaper columnist, radio talk show host, PR executive, and a 30year resident of Kittery Point