heads up on the Piscataqua River

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Boat Captain Says Piece Fell Off Memorial Bridge

Portsmouth Bridge High Priority For Replacement

A tour boat captain says a piece of the Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth fell into the river yards from his boat Monday afternoon.

Bob Hassold said he was steering his boat down the Piscataqua River near the 80-year-old bridge Monday when a piece of the bridge fell just as he was about to pass under it.

"I'm talking about a 4-foot diameter piece of metal, rusted metal, that fell off," he said. "It was a huge splash."

Hassold said the piece came off the stationary part of the bridge. He said he had four tourists on his boat at the time and is glad he didn't leave earlier than he did.

"If I had been downriver just a little bit further, it probably could have hit the top of the boat or the passengers on the boat," he said.

The Memorial Bridge, one of the three main bridges in Portsmouth that connect the city to Kittery, Maine, is the state's No. 1 red-listed bridge, meaning it is a high priority for repair or replacement. On Wednesday, state officials inspected the area where Hassold said he saw the piece fall.

"Certainly, it's well known that the Memorial Bridge is in rough shape," said Bill Boynton of the Department of Transportation. "It's our No. 1 red-listed bridge that we continue to monitor very closely for safety and for structural purposes."

This summer, New Hampshire legislators toured the rusted bridge before pledging $45 million to replace it, half of what's needed. On the Kittery side, local businesses are now displaying "Save the Bridge" banners, hoping their state kicks in the other half.

But Maine officials are awaiting a survey due out in the next couple of weeks before making any decisions.

Hassold said he'll keep his fingers crossed in the meantime.

"They should really stop doing surveys on this bridge," he said. "They know it's falling apart. How many more surveys do they have to do?"

DOT officials have yet to confirm whether a piece of the bridge is now missing. But they said it's still safe enough to stay open for now.

here is the link to the story

http://www.wmur.com/news/24427081/detail.h..._11000107292010