Memorial Bridge

Memorial Bridge may refer to:

Memorial Bridge (Roanoke, Virginia)

The Memorial Bridge is a two-lane, 785 feet (239 m) long bridge spanning the Roanoke River along U.S. Route 11 (Memorial Avenue) in Roanoke, Virginia. The bridge serves as a connection between the southwestern areas of the city (including the Grandin Village area) with central Roanoke. Built by contractor W.W. Boxley, the bridge consists of five 120 feet (37 m) spans, with construction commencing in summer 1925. The bridge officially opened to traffic on May 6, 1926, at a final cost of $282,750.

Although officially open to traffic for over four months, its official dedication occurred on August 30 with U.S. Representative Clifton Woodrum in attendance. The delay in its dedication was attributed to delays involving the creation of the bronze, dedication plaques. It is officially dedicated to Roanoke's veterans of World War I.

The bridge features five plaques, with their contents determined by the Roanoke City Council. Four of them feature quotations from notable historic figures: Patrick Henry, Theodore Roosevelt, Stonewall Jackson and Thomas Jefferson; with the fifth containing the names of all the soldiers from Roanoke who died in World War I. Although dedicated to the veterans who fought in World War I, many did not attend due to the dedication ceremony due to not being originally conceived as a monument to former servicemen. The bridge was officially rededicated on November 11, 1991, sixty-five years after its original dedication.

Memorial Bridge (Augusta, Maine)

The Memorial Bridge, also known as the Kennebec Memorial Bridge, the Kennebec River Bridge, or simply the Kennebec Bridge, is a bridge in Augusta, Maine, that crosses the Kennebec River, joining the east and west sides of the city. It carries U.S. Route 201, U.S. Route 202, Route 11, and Route 100. The bridge is approximately 2,100 feet (640 m) long and has two lanes for traffic and a sidewalk for pedestrians on each side of the roadway. It was first completed in 1949.

Safety fence

The Memorial Bridge is located near a state psychiatric hospital, the Riverview Psychiatric Center. After a number of suicides involving people jumping off the bridge, an 11-foot‐high safety fence was installed on each side of the bridge in 1983. The fence proved effective in preventing suicides from the bridge. In 2006, the fence was temporarily removed due to a renovation project, and this sparked debate about whether the fence was necessary. The fence was described by some as "a cage", and without it they could experience a "sweeping, majestic view". By the end of the year, the fence was reinstalled and it continued to perform well in preventing suicide jumping from the bridge.