On July 7th before the State of Maine's joint legislative committee on Transportion, the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation reported that Maine will be joining the Hampshire Department of Transportation in seeking federal stimulus funds for Memorial Bridge and Sarah Mildred Long Bridge between Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine.

Although owned jointly by both states, Memorial Bridge is operated by New Hampshire, which placed the bridge at the top of the state Department of Transportation's "Red List," of bridges needing repair. At a public meeting in Portsmouth in November, 2008, New Hampshire officials revealed that two bids had been submitted for bridge rehabilitation, both substantially higher than pre-bid estimates. The Maine Department of Transportation was unwilling to proceed with the rehabilitation at the higher price.

In April, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Memorial Bridge, linking Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine, to its 2009 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.  Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Memorial Bridge, linking Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine, to its 2009 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. This annual list highlights important examples of the nation's architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage.

For more than 85 years, Memorial Bridge, the first major "vertical lift" bridge in the eastern US, has been a sturdy and dramatic landmark, spanning the Piscataqua River and connecting the historic coastal towns of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine.  At its 1923 dedication as the official state memorial to World War I servicemen, the bridge had the longest lift span in the country (297 feet), making it the prototype for later metal truss bridges.  Unlike a drawbridge, which swings open and upward like a gate, a vertical-lift bridge hoists a single section straight up, allowing boats to pass underneath.  For generations, the bridge has carried automobiles along coastal Route 1, and its wood-floored walkways still provide the only pedestrian and cycling link between two communities steeped in history.  In 2007, the states of Maine and New Hampshire agreed that Memorial Bridge should be fully rehabilitated.  When estimates came back $15 million over budget, the two states disagreed on how to pay for proposed repairs and are now studying their options, including destruction and replacement of Memorial Bridge, a solution that could be far more costly.

"An engineering marvel and a landmark of transportation history, Memorial Bridge, the oldest operational lift bridge in the eastern United States, represents a key link in the great Eastern coastal route," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "Because federal and state-funded infrastructure projects across the nation have been identified as a priority by the Obama administration, we now have an opportunity to reshape bridge preservation practices in the United States. Memorial Bridge is the poster child for all we stand to lose by erasing these cultural and engineering landmarks."

With its dramatic 200-foot twin towers, Memorial Bridge is one of three highway bridges spanning the Piscataqua River between New Hampshire and Maine. The bridge plays a critical role in the local economy linking historic downtown Portsmouth and the recently revitalized Kittery Foreside neighborhood.

Our nation's historic bridges are being destroyed at the alarming rate of one every two or three days. Lack of maintenance and a knee-jerk preference for replacement often counters the directive of Congress that historic bridges be preserved whenever possible. Bridges that cross state lines are especially vulnerable.

A broad coalition of seacoast area preservation, business, green, and veterans' organizations supports the recent proposal by NH DOT that both states seek competitive infrastructure stimulus funds to completely rehabilitate the Memorial Bridge. Maine DOT, however, has not yet concurred.

The Portsmouth Historical Society nominated Memorial Bridge with support from the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance and Maine Preservation. The Preservation Alliance highlighted the threats and opportunities relative to metal truss bridges in its 2008 Seven to Save. "Two previous properties listed on the 11 Most Endangered -- the Wentworth by the Sea hotel in New Castle and the Daniel Webster Farm in Franklin -- became two of the biggest preservation success stories of the past generation," said Jennifer Goodman, executive director of the Preservation Alliance. "We hope the same success for this one."

More about the 11 Most Endangered at www.preservationnation.org. More about the bridge at www.PortsmouthBridges.com.