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Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory Opens

The Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory opened to the public on May 20, 2007 after 3 years of construction. The bridge is 2,120 feet long, weighs 126 million pounds and cost 85 million dollars. The Bridge replaces the charming but deteriorating Waldo-Hancock Bridge built in 1931.

What makes the new span special -- even more than its impressive cable-stay design, a first for Maine -- is the observatory that is perched 420 feet above the river on top of the bridge's west pylon. The bridge observatory will be the first in the Western Hemisphere and the third in the world, after Slovakia and Thailand. And the 13-by-25-foot standing area will instantly become the tallest occupied structure in the state.

On a clear day, the sightseers who step out on the glass-enclosed deck will be able to see 100 miles away -- to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, the Camden Hills, Mount Katahdin, and to islands past the river's mouth in spectacular Penobscot Bay. Below them is an eagle's-eye view of Bucksport, the granite walls of 137-year-old Fort Knox, and the ribbons of cable that flow from two pylons to the bridge's deck below. Even handicapped visitors will be accommodated on an elevator and lift that will whisk tourists to the observatory.

If you're planning a trip to our area, be sure to include a stop at this exciting new Mid-Coast Maine attraction!

Jim Drum, Damariscotta