March 28, 2024
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Penobscot Narrows Bridge opening ceremony today

VERONA ISLAND – The new Penobscot Narrows Bridge is expected to be officially opened today in a ceremony that also will mark the closure of the Waldo-Hancock Bridge.

The new bridge will be opened to traffic after a brief 1 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony in the middle of the new span. A convoy of firetrucks and emergency vehicles will follow a National Guard truck across the new bridge immediately after the ribbon is cut and before private vehicles are allowed to cross, according to a press release from the Maine Department of Transportation.

Shortly after the new bridge opens, a line of antique cars, trucks and motorcycles will be the last vehicles allowed to cross the Waldo-Hancock Bridge, which was opened in 1931. The vehicles, which must be at least 25 years old, should line up on West Side Drive on Verona Island beginning at 12:30 p.m., with the youngest vehicles toward the front of the line. Vehicles made in 1931 or 1932, when the Waldo-Hancock Bridge was officially dedicated, especially are invited to take part in the crossing.

Additional information on the antique-vehicle procession can be found on the Internet at penobscotnarrowsbridgefest.com or by calling 469-0718.

People who attend the event should dress warmly as the conditions on the bridges are likely to be cold, according to DOT officials. Other motorists who want to cross either of the bridges close to the ceremony time are asked to be patient as there likely will be congestion on both sides of the river.

The entire event, including the ribbon-cutting and the vehicle processions over each bridge, is expected to last 15 minutes.


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