Little Bay Bridge

The Little Bay Bridge, or Little Bay Bridges, are a pair of four-lane girder bridges that carry a concurrency of U.S. Route 4, NH Route 16, and the Spaulding Turnpike across the mouth of Little Bay where it meets the Piscataqua River, between the city of Dover and the town of Newington in New Hampshire. As of August 2019, the bridges carry seven motor vehicle lanes with four shoulders, and one non-motorized multi-use path while the General Sullivan Bridge is closed.[3]

Little Bay Bridge
The Capt. John F. Rowe Bridge, older of the two Little Bay Bridges
Coordinates43.1181°N 70.82559°W / 43.1181; -70.82559
Carries7 lanes of US 4 / NH 16 / Spaulding Turnpike, and pedestrians and bicycles on the northbound span
CrossesPiscataqua River
LocaleDover and Newington, New Hampshire
Official nameCapt. John F. Rowe Bridge
Ruth L. Griffin Bridge
Maintained byNew Hampshire Department of Transportation
ID number006502010002500 (Northbound)[1] 006502010002400 (Southbound)[2]
Characteristics
Total length486.2 m (1,595 ft)
Width8.5 m (27.9 ft) (each span)
Clearance above6.93 m (22.7 ft)
Clearance below14 m (45.9 ft)
History
Opened1966 (Rowe SB)
1984 (Rowe NB)
2013 (Griffin)
Statistics
Daily traffic67,673 (2015)
Location

Capt. John F. Rowe Bridge

The first Little Bay Bridge, which consists of a pair of two-lane spans, is officially the Capt. John F. Rowe Bridge.[4] Its first span was opened in 1966 and originally carried northbound traffic, with southbound traffic utilizing the parallel General Sullivan Bridge, which had been completed in 1934.[5]

The second span of the Rowe bridge was opened in 1984. At that time, the General Sullivan Bridge was permanently closed to vehicle traffic, southbound traffic was moved to the 1966 span of the Rowe bridge, and the 1984 span of the Rowe bridge was used for northbound traffic.

A second Little Bay Bridge was completed in 2013, with traffic shifted to it so the Rowe bridge could be closed for renovations. 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 interchange.[4] Northbound traffic returned to the Rowe bridge in December 2018.[6] Northbound traffic may eventually be expanded to use four lanes of the Rowe bridge;[6] the third northbound lane was opened on May 23, 2019,[7] and a temporary non-motorized multi-use path on the northbound shoulder was opened in August 2019.[3]

View looking south from Dover Point. From left; the 1984 and 1966 spans of the Capt. John F. Rowe Bridge, and the General Sullivan Bridge. Photo taken in 2006, prior to construction of the Ruth L. Griffin Bridge between the bridges shown.

Ruth L. Griffin Bridge
View in November 2019 between the Ruth L. Griffin Bridge and General Sullivan Bridge, with underside of the Capt. John F. Rowe Bridge at far left.

The second Little Bay Bridge, with a capacity of four traffic lanes, is officially the Ruth L. Griffin Bridge,[8] named for a 20-year member of the Executive Council of New Hampshire.[9][10] It was built to temporarily ease traffic congestion across the Rowe bridge, and was completed in November 2013.[4] It is physically located between the Rowe bridge and the General Sullivan Bridge.

Once the Griffin bridge was completed, all traffic from the Rowe bridge was moved to it, so the Rowe bridge could be closed for renovations. The Griffin bridge continued to handle all traffic for several years due to realignment of the nearby U.S. Route 4 interchange.[4] Northbound traffic returned to the Rowe bridge in December 2018.[6] All four lanes of the Griffin bridge were opened to southbound traffic on July 20, 2019.[11] A new merge pattern just north of the bridge, better enabling traffic from U.S. Route 4 and the Spaulding Turnpike to utilize the four southbound lanes, went into effect in April 2020.[12]

General Sullivan Bridge
General Sullivan Bridge in June 2013, with the Ruth L. Griffin Bridge under construction (yellow crane)
Warning sign on the General Sullivan Bridge, as seen in March 2013

The General Sullivan Bridge is a deck truss bridge, with a through truss span to accommodate ship traffic, that formerly carried the roads that now travel over the Little Bay Bridges. The bridge was named for John Sullivan, a Revolutionary War general, Governor of New Hampshire, and delegate to the Continental Congress, who was from nearby Somersworth.[13] Little Bay had previously been spanned by a railroad and automobile bridge, which had been completed in December 1873 and began carrying rail traffic in February 1874;[14] after 60 years of service, it was dismantled in February 1935.[15] Its abutments were located approximately 100 yards (91 m) north of the General Sullivan Bridge.[14] Near the Newington-side abutment, the 1873-constructed Newington Railroad Depot still stands.

The General Sullivan Bridge was completed in 1934,[5] and dedicated on September 5 that year.[16] Constructed at a cost of $1 million, it was a toll bridge for its first 15 years of use, with the tolls being abolished on November 1, 1949.[17] The bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic since the opening of the second span of the Rowe bridge in 1984.

After being closed to vehicular traffic, the General Sullivan Bridge was used by pedestrians and cyclists, as the Little Bay Bridges did not have facilities for foot traffic. The bridge had long been a popular fishing spot.[18][19] In 2010 and 2015, fencing was installed to limit access to specific areas of the bridge, due to deteriorating conditions.[5] In September 2018, the bridge was permanently closed to pedestrians and cyclists, due to a lack of maintenance causing unsafe conditions.[20]

The General Sullivan Bridge, although it was not named, appeared in a 1997 episode of WWF Monday Night Raw, when Steve Austin threw the WWE Intercontinental Championship belt (then belonging to The Rock) into the river below.[21]

Future plans

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.[22] The Coast Guard regards it as a navigation hazard and favors its removal.[23] Bridge proponents cite its eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.[23] As of July 2018, restored pedestrian and bicycle access to the bridge was planned for the summer of 2022.[4] As of January 2020, "the state’s plan now is to build a new bridge on the existing piers".[24] The new bridge was expected to be a 16-foot-wide (4.9 m) multi-use path.[22]

In February 2023, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NH DOT) estimated the cost of replacing the original bridge with a 9-foot-wide (2.7 m) bicycle and pedestrian walkway at $34.8 million, with a 2026 completion date.[25] In June 2023, $20 million was allocated for the project from the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.[25] In August 2023, NH DOT put the General Sullivan Bridge up for sale, but did not receive any offers.[25] In September 2023, bidding for the replacement project came in at over $80 million, potentially delaying efforts.[25]

Photographs

Capt. John F. Rowe Bridge
  • Dover-side abutment of the bridge
    Dover-side abutment of the bridge
  • View of the underside of the bridge, showing the dual two-lane spans
    View of the underside of the bridge, showing the dual two-lane spans

General Sullivan Bridge
  • The bridge as seen from Hilton Park on Dover Point
    The bridge as seen from Hilton Park on Dover Point
  • The bridge as seen from Wagon Hill Park in nearby Durham
    The bridge as seen from Wagon Hill Park in nearby Durham
  • Plaque on the bridge which reads "U.S. Public Works Project Docket No. 752"
    Plaque on the bridge which reads "U.S. Public Works Project Docket No. 752"

See also

References
  1. "US 4,NH 16,TPK NB over LITTLE BAY,RD". bridgereports.com. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  2. "US 4,NH 16,TPK SB over LITTLE BAY,RD". bridgereports.com. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  3. Early, Brian. "Little Bay bridge foot-bike path nearly ready". fosters.com. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  4. Briand, Paul (July 16, 2018). "Spaulding Turnpike project: Little Bay bridge to see traffic in fall". Foster's Daily Democrat. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  5. "About the General Sullivan Bridge". NHDOT. Retrieved July 17, 2018 – via newington-dover.com.
  6. Briand, Paul (December 10, 2018). "Big change coming to Spaulding Turnpike's exit 6". Foster's Daily Democrat. Dover, New Hampshire.
  7. @NewHampshireDOT (May 23, 2019). "A new northbound third lane was opened this morning on the Spaulding Turnpike over the Little Bay Bridge in Newington and Dover" (Tweet). Retrieved May 23, 2019 – via Twitter.
  8. McMenemy, Jeff (June 28, 2018). "Sununu signs bill naming bridge for Ruth Griffin". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  9. "Bridge named in honor of longtime executive councilor". The Republic. Columbus, Indiana. June 28, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  10. @NewHampshireDOT (June 28, 2018). "The newest Spaulding Turnpike Bridge over Little Bay in Newington-Dover is now the Ruth L. Griffin Bridge, named after the former Executive Councilor" (Tweet). Retrieved May 23, 2019 – via Twitter.
  11. Early, Brian. "Spaulding Turnpike drivers love open lanes - sorry, it won't last". fosters.com. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  12. Briand, Paul (April 21, 2020). "Spaulding Turnpike commute getting easier as new lanes open". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  13. Currie, Judi (February 15, 2015). "Who was Gen. Sullivan?: Bridge often confused as replacement project continues". Foster's Daily Democrat. Dover, New Hampshire. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  14. "Great Bay First Spanned by Private Bridge Owner". The Portsmouth Herald. October 31, 1949. p. 3. Retrieved July 18, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  15. "Tearing Down Old Bridge at Dover Point". The Portsmouth Herald. February 4, 1935. p. 8. Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  16. "Dedicate New Bridge Today". The Portsmouth Herald. September 5, 1934. p. 1. Retrieved July 18, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  17. "General Sullivan Bridge Free Tomorrow". The Portsmouth Herald. October 31, 1949. p. 1. Retrieved July 18, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  18. "Here and There". The Portsmouth Herald. July 30, 1940. p. 4. Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  19. Kennedy, Bob (July 11, 1944). "Sport City". The Portsmouth Herald. p. 6. Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  20. "Gen. Sullivan Bridge closed to pedestrians, cyclists". seacoastonline.com. September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  21. "Stone Cold Chucks the Intercontinental Belt over a bridge". Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved July 17, 2018 – via YouTube.
  22. "Adverse Effect Memo" (PDF). New Hampshire Department of Transportation. January 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020 – via newington-dover.com.
  23. New Hampshire DOT. "New Hampshire Department of Transportation - Spaulding Turnpike : Newington-Dover - Commonly Asked Questions". Archived from the original on 2006-11-20. Retrieved 2006-10-03.
  24. McMenemy, Jeff (January 9, 2020). "Last call to save Gen. Sullivan Bridge unlikely to be heard". Foster's Daily Democrat. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  25. Kitch, Michael (September 29, 2023). "General Sullivan Bridge removal set back". New Hampshire Business Review. Retrieved October 6, 2023.

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