Modjeski and Masters was selected by the Marine Department of Transportation to replace the existing "Million Dollar Bridge" and manage the environmental impact statement. The anticipated alignment would be downstream from the original structure
Construction starts in January 1995 on the new Casco Bay Bridge substructure units. Work included over 4,000-feet of elevated approach structure and roadway/intersection improvements. Shown here is construction progress on the North bascule pier as of December 1995.
With work on the substructure units completed, work on the bridge superstructure started in early 1996. Shown here is construction progress on the South leaves as of September 1996.
The new Casco Bay Bridge was completed and opened to traffic on August 31, 1997. Shown here is the opening ceremony which was attended by then-Governor Angus King.
The Casco Bay Bridge Received the Prize Bridge Award (movable span) from the National Steel Bridge Alliance in 2000. The M&M-designed Blue Water Bridge received the same award (long span category) in the same year.
The robust fender system designed by Modjeski and Masters was put to the test. A 685-foot tanker transporting 11.3 million gallons of fuel struck the bridge in 2002. But unlike impacts to the older bridge which resulted in oil spills, the fender system protecting the bridge absorbed the impact. There were no injuries to the crew, no oil was spilled, and no damage was done to the vessel.
Modjeski and Masters engineers were asked to perform comprehensive mechanical and electrical inspections of the bridge in 2009 and 2015. Included in the inspection was strain gage testing of the existing machinery.