Floodgap Roadgap's RoadsAroundME: Maine State Route 77

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Maine State Route 77

<< Maine State Route 73 All Points in Maine Maine State Route 77W >>

Termini and Mileage (2006)

Termini
Main alignment: Int of STATE ST, PARK AVE., Portland to Int of RTE 207, RTE 77, Scarborough
Mileage
Main alignment: 12.32 miles (total over all segments)

Notes and History
A small collector-type route in metropolitan Portland, ME 77 was not designated until 1939 on new routing. It is an important link between Portland and South Portland, and the functional limit line for several highways in Portland including ME 22, ME 25 and ME 26. Interestingly, its alignment in Portland is now split using High St for the "northbound" alignment, State St only carrying traffic south. Analysis of ME 77W, however, implies that High St is not actually part of the routing. This seems to be a historical holdover as State St was two-way apparently until the 1990s.
Originally, ME 77 was carried over the Fore River by the famous Million Dollar Bridge, a 1916 bascule span. Planned as early as 1893, construction did not begin until 1914; the reckoning of its total cost as reflected in the title may have been apocryphal given prevailing currency values. When fully open, the bascule bridge's horizontal clearance was approximately 100' with obviously unlimited vertical clearance in the open position (although it is unclear from contemporary documentation what the vertical clearance closed was). In Portland itself, ME 77 came off US 1 (then along what was then St John St) at Danforth, proceeding along Danforth to State and turning south, then over the bridge to cross the river and diverge east on Cottage Rd, becoming Shore Rd and connecting with Ocean House Rd (what Ocean St becomes) at the south end. This older alignment also included Fowler Rd south of that point, and can be seen on the 1941 topo (warning: large image). In 1955, the Danforth alignment was dropped and ME 77 routed up State St to US 1 at Park Avenue; as for the southern portion, it was shifted to the straighter current alignment completely along Ocean St in 1960 and the old alignments ceased to be numbered highway. From there, both old and modern ME 77 continued along Bowery Beach Rd and Spurwink Rd to the junction with ME 207 at Black Point Rd.
Discussion of replacing the Million Dollar had been seriously discussed since the 1950s but became bogged down in studies from that point and did not receive official backing until 1991 as the Casco Bay Bridge project; even then it was delayed due to EPA concerns over wetland impact and a new design was needed that stalled the project for two more years and added $20 million to the pricetag. Construction finally started in 1993 alongside the Million Dollar Bridge but came to an abrupt, literally crashing halt when an oil tanker plowed into the Million Dollar's south bascule pier in 1996. After extensive investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board determined the result was pilot error and not due to intoxication. Nevertheless, the bridge was damaged enough to be structurally compromised and further construction was delayed by emergency repairs needed to restore the old bridge back to service. After completion of the Casco Bay Bridge in 1997 for a total cost of $130 million, the Million Dollar Bridge was demolished completely and ME 77 rerouted to completely bypass the northern section of Ocean St, connecting instead at Broadway along the west side of the peninsula. Some of the old approach road to the Million Dollar still survives at the very north end of Ocean St where it curves around with Waterman Dr. The Casco Bay is also a bascule bridge with two levels, a total length of 4,748' (including approach), a main span of 285', and a minimum horizontal clearance of 197' with a minimum closed vertical clearance of 55' above mean high water (65' in channel centre). To prevent another such accident, the new bridge has an elabourate fender system designed to absorb tremendous impact before even reaching the piers. So far it has yet not been thoroughly tested, and MDOT probably hopes it won't ever be.
Along the former routing of ME 77 on Shore Rd is the Portland Head Light, about three miles east of the modern highway routing. A National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, the lighthouse was born of a tragic maritime accident in 1787 that prompted the Massachusetts legislature to start construction on a 58' warning tower. The Light was eventually completed in 1790 by the federal government under the personal attention of President George Washington, servicing what was then the sixth largest port in the country and the closest port to Europe. The tower structure has remained essentially unchanged since its completion.
See also ME 77W.

Additional Resources

Maine Highways 76 to 100 (JP Kirby)
Casco Bay Bridge (Eric Bryant)
Post-Accident Report, 27 September 1996 (National Transportation Safety Board)
Prize Bridge Award: Casco Bay Bridge Moveable Span (CIANBRO In The News)
Casco Bay Bridge (Modjeski and Masters, engineering consultants)

<< Maine State Route 73 All Points in Maine Maine State Route 77W >>

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Termini and Mileage (2006)	Termini Main alignment: Int of STATE ST, PARK AVE., Portland to Int of RTE 207, RTE 77, Scarborough Mileage Main alignment: 12.32 miles (total over all segments)

*Notes and History*	A small collector-type route in metropolitan Portland, ME 77 was not designated until 1939 on new routing. It is an important link between Portland and South Portland, and the functional limit line for several highways in Portland including ME 22, ME 25 and ME 26. Interestingly, its alignment in Portland is now split using High St for the "northbound" alignment, State St only carrying traffic south. Analysis of ME 77W, however, implies that High St is not actually part of the routing. This seems to be a historical holdover as State St was two-way apparently until the 1990s. Originally, ME 77 was carried over the Fore River by the famous Million Dollar Bridge, a 1916 bascule span. Planned as early as 1893, construction did not begin until 1914; the reckoning of its total cost as reflected in the title may have been apocryphal given prevailing currency values. When fully open, the bascule bridge's horizontal clearance was approximately 100' with obviously unlimited vertical clearance in the open position (although it is unclear from contemporary documentation what the vertical clearance closed was). In Portland itself, ME 77 came off US 1 (then along what was then St John St) at Danforth, proceeding along Danforth to State and turning south, then over the bridge to cross the river and diverge east on Cottage Rd, becoming Shore Rd and connecting with Ocean House Rd (what Ocean St becomes) at the south end. This older alignment also included Fowler Rd south of that point, and can be seen on the 1941 topo (warning: large image). In 1955, the Danforth alignment was dropped and ME 77 routed up State St to US 1 at Park Avenue; as for the southern portion, it was shifted to the straighter current alignment completely along Ocean St in 1960 and the old alignments ceased to be numbered highway. From there, both old and modern ME 77 continued along Bowery Beach Rd and Spurwink Rd to the junction with ME 207 at Black Point Rd. Discussion of replacing the Million Dollar had been seriously discussed since the 1950s but became bogged down in studies from that point and did not receive official backing until 1991 as the Casco Bay Bridge project; even then it was delayed due to EPA concerns over wetland impact and a new design was needed that stalled the project for two more years and added $20 million to the pricetag. Construction finally started in 1993 alongside the Million Dollar Bridge but came to an abrupt, literally crashing halt when an oil tanker plowed into the Million Dollar's south bascule pier in 1996. After extensive investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board determined the result was pilot error and not due to intoxication. Nevertheless, the bridge was damaged enough to be structurally compromised and further construction was delayed by emergency repairs needed to restore the old bridge back to service. After completion of the Casco Bay Bridge in 1997 for a total cost of $130 million, the Million Dollar Bridge was demolished completely and ME 77 rerouted to completely bypass the northern section of Ocean St, connecting instead at Broadway along the west side of the peninsula. Some of the old approach road to the Million Dollar still survives at the very north end of Ocean St where it curves around with Waterman Dr. The Casco Bay is also a bascule bridge with two levels, a total length of 4,748' (including approach), a main span of 285', and a minimum horizontal clearance of 197' with a minimum closed vertical clearance of 55' above mean high water (65' in channel centre). To prevent another such accident, the new bridge has an elabourate fender system designed to absorb tremendous impact before even reaching the piers. So far it has yet not been thoroughly tested, and MDOT probably hopes it won't ever be. Along the former routing of ME 77 on Shore Rd is the Portland Head Light, about three miles east of the modern highway routing. A National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, the lighthouse was born of a tragic maritime accident in 1787 that prompted the Massachusetts legislature to start construction on a 58' warning tower. The Light was eventually completed in 1790 by the federal government under the personal attention of President George Washington, servicing what was then the sixth largest port in the country and the closest port to Europe. The tower structure has remained essentially unchanged since its completion. See also ME 77W.

*Additional Resources*	Maine Highways 76 to 100 (JP Kirby) Casco Bay Bridge (Eric Bryant) Post-Accident Report, 27 September 1996 (National Transportation Safety Board) Prize Bridge Award: Casco Bay Bridge Moveable Span (CIANBRO In The News) Casco Bay Bridge (Modjeski and Masters, engineering consultants)