Remembering Lee's Bridge

On the morning of October 28, 1999, a heating-oil delivery truck passed over Lee's Bridge (Rt 117 near Nine Acre Corner right on the Lincoln/Concord town line). As it crossed, a hole approximately 25 by 15 feet suddenly yawned open in the pavement.

Miraculously, the truck did not fall through, nor did any other vehicle. No one was injured, no oil was spilled.

The bridge was quickly deemed unrepairable, and its remains were immediately removed. Large barges were placed underneath to catch and take away the debris, the stone face saved for use in the new bridge. A temporary bridge was erected at the same spot in just a few days. Plans are being laid for a permanent span to be built on the same footings as the old one. It may be three years before it is completed.

Erected in 1912, this stone-faced cement structure replaced an earlier wooden one from the 18th century. Charles Francis Adams II of Lincoln, wanted (and paid for) a bridge in his neighborhood which resembled the famous one across Fiume Arno in Firenze, Italy.

A heavily-traveled spot during rush hour, the loss of the bridge caused great havoc on the roads. With the temporary bridge, traffic has been restored until the building of a permanent structure. But it is also a great loss for the beauty of Nine Acre Corner as this span was part of its lovely scenery. Below, we present photos taken 1981 (first and third images) and 1992 by Concord resident Richard Stevenson, showing Lee's Bridge and its beautiful surroundings.