A Revolutionary Replacement

The entire weight of the bridge deck and any vehicles on it is supported by a system of wires only 1/5 inch in diameter. Seven of these pencil-thin wires are twisted together and coated with epoxy to prevent corrosion, producing a cable strand. Between 41 and 73 of these strands make up each of the long cable stays that stretch from the towers to the road deck. Altogether, this totals 2,532 individual epoxy-coated strands measuring 1,897,650 linear feet, or 359 miles. Because each strand is made up of seven wires, the system contains more than 2,500 miles of wire, enough to stretch from here to Portland, Oregon. Each strand can hold 58,900 pounds, the equivalent of 25 automobiles or 350 people.

Prospect, Maine · United States