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Chain Bridge (Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
The Chain Bridge is a 225-foot, single-span suspension bridge, which crosses the right branch of the Merrimack River
flowing around Deer Island. As the boundary between the city of Newburyport
and the town of Amesbury, Massachusetts
runs through Deer Island, Chain Bridge does connect the two communities. To cross from the island to the left bank of the Merrimack requires traversing the Derek S. Hines Memorial Bridge, formerly the Essex-Merrimack Drawbridge. As the Chain Bridge is better known because of its structure, it is often incorrectly represented in literature as a single bridge spanning the Merrimack.
The current span was completed in 1910 at the site of two previous bridges. The first was a timber-arch truss which existed between 1792 and 1810. It was replaced in 1810 by a wrought-iron chain suspension bridge. This was replaced by the current span in 1909, which is still referred to as "Chain Bridge".
The Chain Bridge is the only suspension bridge currently maintained by the Massachusetts Highway Department
. In 1990 the bridge was part of a state-wide survey as part of the Massachusetts Historic Bridge Recording Project. It has undergone several renovations, most recently in 2003.
The bridge was also used for a stunt shown in an episode of the 1980s television show "Spenser: For Hire
".
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
flowing around Deer Island. As the boundary between the city of Newburyport
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
and the town of Amesbury, Massachusetts
Amesbury, Massachusetts
Amesbury is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Though it officially became a city in 1996, its formal name remains "The Town of Amesbury." In 1890, 9798 people lived in Amesbury; in 1900, 9473; in 1910, 9894; in 1920, 10,036; and in 1940, 10,862. The population was 16,283 at...
runs through Deer Island, Chain Bridge does connect the two communities. To cross from the island to the left bank of the Merrimack requires traversing the Derek S. Hines Memorial Bridge, formerly the Essex-Merrimack Drawbridge. As the Chain Bridge is better known because of its structure, it is often incorrectly represented in literature as a single bridge spanning the Merrimack.
The current span was completed in 1910 at the site of two previous bridges. The first was a timber-arch truss which existed between 1792 and 1810. It was replaced in 1810 by a wrought-iron chain suspension bridge. This was replaced by the current span in 1909, which is still referred to as "Chain Bridge".
The Chain Bridge is the only suspension bridge currently maintained by the Massachusetts Highway Department
Massachusetts Highway Department
The Massachusetts Highway Department was the former name of the highway department in the United States Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1991 until it became the highway division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on November 1, 2009...
. In 1990 the bridge was part of a state-wide survey as part of the Massachusetts Historic Bridge Recording Project. It has undergone several renovations, most recently in 2003.
The bridge was also used for a stunt shown in an episode of the 1980s television show "Spenser: For Hire
Spenser: For Hire
Spenser: For Hire is a mystery television series based on Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. The series, developed for TV by John Wilder, differs from the novels, mostly in its lesser degree of detail....
".