Well-Wishers from both sides of the Piscataqua gathered in Portsmouth today to celebrate the opening of the new Memorial Bridge, after two years of construction.
There were bicyclers, bridge-enthusiasts from near and far, police and bomb-squad dogs, construction workers, balloons, children, a brass band, and lots of reporters all pressed together on the entrance of the new Memorial bridge joining Portsmouth and Kittery.
Members of both the New Hampshire and Maine congressional delegations were there.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen says the project – which cost about $83 million dollars – isn’t just a bridge in the literal sense:
It has involved local state and federal officials, it has been bipartisan, we have all worked together, it has involved the public sector and the private sector, as you all know.
Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez was also present at the ceremony. His Administration is responsible for the $20 million dollar federal grant, which helped fund the bridge. The two states shared the rest of the cost, with an addition $800,000 from the City of Portsmouth.
