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In traditional cable-stay bridges, the cables that hold up the roadway pass through the support towers in a big bundle. That not only leaves them vulnerable to friction and corrosion, it means repairs are an all-or-nothing affair. Maine’s 2,120-foot Penobscot Narrows Bridge, which opened last month, uses a unique cradle system that gives each epoxy-coated steel strand its own one-inch steel sheath. This protective coating keeps the steel from rubbing and allows workers to replace cables one at a time. The entire assembly is pumped full of pressurized nitrogen, an inert gas that wards off corrosion. The $85-million bridge is expected to last twice as long as its predecessor, and will be one of just three bridges in the world with an observatory. waldohancockbridge.com
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