| Bridge Name: | Clair – Fort Kent Bridge |
| Coordinates: | 47.2493°N -68.6038°W |
| Carries: | Connects in the United States and in Canada. |
| Crosses: | Saint John River |
| Locale: | Canada–United States border |
| Owner: | State Highway Agency |
| Maint: | State Highway Agency |
| Id: | 2398 |
| Design: | Truss - Thru |
| Material: | steel beams |
| Length: | 221.93 m (728.1 ft) |
| Width: | 12.2 m |
| Spans: | 3 |
| Load: | M 18 |
| Clearance: | 1.5 m |
| Begin: | 1929 |
| Complete: | 1930 |
| Traffic: | 958 (2010) |
| Replaces: | cable ferry, cable suspension footbridge |
The Clair–Fort Kent Bridge is a steel truss bridge crossing the Saint John River between Clair, New Brunswick in Canada and Fort Kent, Maine in the United States.
The bridge handles approximately 279,490 vehicle crossings per year and forms a border crossing on the International Boundary. It connects with Route 205 in New Brunswick and Route 161 and U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Maine, also forming the northern terminus of US 1.
Since it is an international bridge, the Canadian portion of the structure is the responsibility of the Province of New Brunswick, while the American portion is operated by the State of Maine. The bridge was built in 1929–30 as a replacement for an existing cable ferry and a cable suspension footbridge. The bridge has three steel through-truss spans of 73.15m (239.99feet) each for a total length of 221.93m (728.12feet).
In 1995, the first pier from the New Brunswick abutment had major repairs done. In 1997, the steel members under the deck in the first 1.5 spans from the New Brunswick end were sandblasted, and then painted with a primer of inorganic zinc. In the same year, the downstream exterior stringers in these 1.5 spans were replaced. In 1998, the downstream concrete curb in the first 1.5 spans from the New Brunswick end was replaced. In 2000, the New Brunswick end concrete abutment underwent a major restoration.
In 2009, officials from Canada and the United States determined that the bridge was structurally and functionally obsolete.[1] In January 2011, the Maine Department of Transportation imposed a 2.7-ton weight restriction on the bridge after advanced deterioration of the bridge on Maine's side was discovered during a routine inspection. On January 28, 2011, officials from New Brunswick and Maine announced plans to build a new bridge and demolish the existing structure.[2] Construction began on the new bridge in 2012 and the estimated completion date was June 30, 2014. It was expected to cost $13.9million.[3]
The new bridge opened on July 31, 2014. Demolition of the old bridge was underway by September 29, 2014.[4] [5]
See main article: Fort Kent–Clair Border Crossing. The Fort Kent - Clair Border Crossing is at the Clair–Fort Kent Bridge on the Canada–United States border. This crossing first opened in 1905 with the construction of a footbridge that traversed the Saint John River. A replacement for the steel bridge that was built in 1930 opened July 31, 2014.