New Portland Wire Bridge
The New Portland Wire Bridge is a historic suspension bridge in New Portland, Maine. The bridge carries Wire Bridge Road across the Carrabassett River a short way north of the village center. Built in the mid-19th century, it is one of four 19th-century suspension bridges in the state. It is one lane wide, and has a weight limit of 3 tons. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and was designated as a Maine Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1990. Description and history The bridge is in a rural setting, crossing the river just upstream of the mouth of Lemon Stream. The bridge is long and wide, sufficient to carry a single lane of traffic. The bridge towers are , and are set on abutments of large rough-quarried granite. The towers are covered in wooden shingles, and are constructed of beams. The main steel cables are about in diameter, and connected to the bridge decking by 204 steel girders. The cable ends are anchored by concrete and granite blocks with an estimated weight of 30 tons. The decking surface is wooden planks. The construction history of the