Piscataqua River Bridge

​The Piscataqua River Bridge is one of New Hampshire's most well-known bridges, although there are two different arch bridges that have used this name.

The original Piscataqua Bridge was first planned in 1793 to increase trade and travel between Portsmouth and the rest of the State. This bridge was approximately 5 miles west of the current structure and connected Fox Point with Cedar Point. This bridge was built in three sections; there was a 600 ft oak pile trestle from Fox Point to Ram Island, a 244 ft wooden arch from Ram Island to Goat Island, and a 900 ft oak pile trestle with a draw span from Goat Island to Cedar Point. This draw span was originally a retractile draw (also called a draw-back or traversing draw), but it functioned poorly and was replaced with a double-leaf hinged bascule draw two years later. The arch span, called the “Great Arch”, was the longest span in the country, and was immediately famous. It held this title until the Colossus Bridge was built near Philadelphia in 1812. The arch was completely replaced with a similar wooden arch in 1818 and 1844. An ice jam demolished other sections of the bridge in 1854, and the bridge was not repaired or reopened. By this point it had lost profitability due to competition with the Portsmouth Bridge and railroads.

The new Piscataqua River Bridge is a tied through arch that pays tribute to the original bridge. This bridge was constructed as part of the development of the Interstate Highway Program and carries I-95 from Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Kittery, Maine. This bridge was constructed from 1968 to 1971, but it was not officially opened until November 1, 1972, because the I-95 extension in Maine needed to be completed first. This bridge is still the only interstate highway connection to Maine.

During construction (on June 24, 1970), two of the I-beams supporting the staging area on the Kittery side of the span collapsed. Four workers fell from the structure and were killed, and another seven workers were injured. There is a memorial plaque beneath the bridge on the Maine side.

The bridge underwent a major rehabilitation project from 2019 to 2022. This project included a full deck replacement, installation of a new drainage system, joint replacement, concrete and catwalk repairs, construction of solid concrete barriers, and the installation of new electrical and lighting systems.

Over the life of the bridge, numerous people have committed suicide by jumping from the bridge. Signs with the 988 national crisis lifeline have already been erected along the barrier, but it is not believed that this will be enough. On June 11, 2025, a group of stakeholders began to discuss adding a suicide prevention system to this bridge, as well as the nearby Sarah Mildred Long Bridge and the Memorial Bridge. This would likely mean installing some sort of deterrent barriers or fencing.