The Memorial Bridge stands tall above the rooflines of downtown Portsmouth. This shot, from the balcony of 100 Market Street, highlights a variety of buildings – both new and old – and some perspective on one of the hot topics in town these days (building heights). St. John’s Church tower also stands tall in the frame with its instantly identifiable yellow and green colors.
Construction continues at a fast pace on the new Memorial Bridge. Both towers now stand equally tall, with the current work focused on completing the electrical and mechanical aspects of the construction. In a few months, you’ll likely be walking or driving over the new streamlined structure noticing its many details.
One thing I’ve noticed so far is that the bridge takes on an entirely different look depending on the angle and position you’re looking at it from. Sometimes I love the appeal of the new structure, and sometimes I truly miss the elegant and curved lines of the old bridge.
After an intense afternoon of thunderstorms, the Portsmouth skyline is sandwiched between beautiful clouds and their reflections in the PIscataqua River. The North Church and the Memorial Bridge are visible in the distance.
The new Memorial Bridge is nearly complete, anticipated to open in a mere 3 months. Here is an image I took on a gorgeous morning as the sun rose to the east of the old Memorial’s tower abutments. I’ll miss the curves and the architectural interest of this historic gem.
The Mary M. Coppedge stands tall in front of the Martingale Wharf building and the construction of the new Memorial Bridge. I love this time of day when the orange lights that adorn the sides of the tugs take on an eerie glow – in this shot they nearly match the orange glow of the homes in the building on the waterfront in the background.
These images of the waterfront were taken almost exactly one year apart. As you’ve seen recently here, the Memorial Bridge reconstruction continues to gain momentum – but sometimes it’s the context of the progress that we need to take a step back and appreciate. The same goes for the continued development and re-development in Portsmouth, which I hope to begin to feature in similar comparisons.
Thankfully – this view is always graced with the last rays of sunlight each day on the Kittery shorefront in the distance. The photo from 2013 has a soft subtle red glow in the background, illuminating the lobstering boats docked in the distance.
The replacement Memorial Bridge is only a few months away from completion, and I’m starting to get a better feel for how it will present from its many angles for the best photos. There isn’t much room by the Portsmouth base at this point to wander, only a little area between the fence on the left and a makeshift fence on the right – but I was still happy with this composition despite some rather boring midday lighting.
