After much anticipation over the last few days, and an incredible amount of hard work that was put in by those involved – the Memorial Bridge lift span has been removed! It was amazing to see the number of people out all day long just watching with fascination.  Despite the cold weather, the piers and grounds at Prescott Park were packed all day long right through the actual removal of the lift span around 10:30pm. As soon as the bridge started to move on its Kittery side, the crowd erupted with cheers.  Be sure to check out the video for a feeling of the crowds awe!

The Removal of the Memorial Bridge Lift Span

Familiar parts create a new scene…a freighter heads out to Portsmouth Harbor from its stop upriver…the Memorial Bridge is up, the Moran Towing tugboats are at work instead of at rest in their usual spot…and the Martingale Wharf is unobstructed and in plain view with its new brick skin.  A heavy vignette creates a nice dark circular frame around the image…all of which make this a shot that I totally love.  Hope you do too.

Portsmouth’s waterfront location provides an incredible amount of opportunities to photograph.  This pier, which I’ve featured before, is in Prescott Park overlooking the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.  I love the symmetry that docks and piers provide, especially when bathed in soft morning light and interesting cloud cover.

The Sand & Salt Piles that line Portsmouth’s working waterfront are owned and operated by Granite State Minerals.  As I’ve written time and time again, I love this time of year…not so much for the colder temperatures (which make for cold fingers out shooting, especially at night), but for the increased river traffic.  This past week, the Atlantic Majesty returned to unload some massive amounts of sand.  Today’s shots feature the fascinating dump of sand from the crane…I never get sick of seeing the sand fall out so quickly, watching gravity take hold of the materials.  Below, the sand pile grows over the wall on Market Street.

In other news – be sure to check out the new header at the top of the site!  I decided I needed an image with a little more clarity to welcome visitors the Portsmouth’s waterfront.  Here the Bow Street waterfront can be seen from the sidewalk of the Memorial Bridge.

This week’s series features the Memorial Bridge.  I’ve often shot the bridge from this little corner of Prescott Park, but it wasn’t until the lighting accentuated the scene in this way that I appreciated the angles that the dock presented.  I love the leading line of the last portion of the dock and how it points the way upriver. This wide angle view captures both the marina on the Kittery side of the bridge as well as Harbour Place on the Portsmouth side.  Soon there will be a complementary brick warehouse looking building on the near side of the Memorial (or its replacement), at the site of the former Pier II restaurant.

It’s close to the end for the Memorial Bridge – or so it seems.  It was announced this week that the bridge would be closed for 4-6 weeks for repair, or even indefinitely according to Foster’s. I don’t think this surprises anyone ’round these parts, but it’s sort of a sad moment. Things will get better and the bridge will eventually be replaced with either a very similar looking one, or a drastic departure if some of the initial design critics get their way. One thing is sure, this original lift span bridge with all of its character isn’t really safe for vehicles anymore. It’s going to be damn cool for photographers and pedestrians to enjoy its architecture and some steady decks for a while (you can’t get a sharp image with dozens of cars driving through).

Once again I’m revisiting the archives from earlier this year when warmer weather prevailed.  This shot never made it to the website, but I’ve always loved the angular presence of the Middle Bridge from this angle as it leads the eye towards one of the working terminals on Portsmouth’s waterfront.  The New Hampshire State Pier is the closest terminal to the bridge, while the Granite State Minerals loading/unloading sand & salt platform is located just opposite the Sheraton.  You can glimpse the North Church on the horizon in the distance, and the incredible sky this night just made for a mesmerizing sunset and blue hour.