A complex load transfer operation involving installation of supplemental cables on a 72-year-old two-lane suspension bridge may be the first of its kind in the U.S. Consulting engineers for Maines Dept. of Transportation had discovered extensive degradation on a main cable that forced bridge load limits and a fast-tracked replacement project.
The Waldo-Hancock Bridge carries U.S. Route 1 over the Penobscot River between Prospect and Verona Island. It has an 800-ft-long center span and 350-ft-long side spans. The main cables rest on saddles in two truss towers and are anchored at each end in concrete blocks under approach ramps. The 10-in.-dia helical cables are composed of 37 strands; each strand contains 37 galvanized wires.