The Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory will open in time for Memorial Day weekend after a three-week delay caused by a leaky fire suppression system.
The popular 42-story-tall tourist destination in Prospect will open at 9 a.m. Friday, Maine Department of Transportation spokesman Paul Merrill said.
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The observatory had to special-order a valve to replace one that failed during an inspection prior to the observatory’s scheduled opening on May 1. Frozen pipes might have caused the leak, Merrill has said.
The 2,120-foot-long, cable-stayed Penobscot Narrows Bridge, which carries U.S. Route 1 over the Penobscot River between Verona Island and Prospect, is the tallest public observatory bridge in the world. The observatory offers 360-degree views of the Penobscot River, Penobscot Bay and beyond.
It’s among four bridge observatories in the world. The others are in China, Thailand and Slovakia.
It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until June 30, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting July 1, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Sept 1. It closes for the year on Oct. 31, according to the observatory’s rates and hours page at maine.gov.
Related: MDOT removes old Waldo-Hancock bridge
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