The French King Bridge is the three-span "cantilever arch" bridge that crosses the Connecticut River on the border between the towns of Erving and Gill, Massachusetts, United States. The bridge, part of Massachusetts Route 2, carries automobile, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic and is owned and managed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
History
The French King Bridge (FKB) was opened to traffic on September 10, 1932. It was named the "Most Beautiful Steel Bridge" of 1932 by the American Institute of Steel Construction. The bridge was rebuilt in 1992, and refurbished in 2008–2010.
Suicides In 2009, police had said that between 26 and 31 people were known to have jumped off the bridge since its construction in 1932, with only 2 survivors.
In 2023, a nine-foot high steel barrier was erected on both sides of the bridge by the MassDOT. The barriers have all but stopped the need for emergency responders to be called to the bridge for the rescue of people in crisis, or for the recovery of people who have jumped.
Name The name comes from a nearby geographical feature named French King Rock, visible in the middle of the river.
Image gallery
See also List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Massachusetts List of crossings of the Connecticut River
References
External links
Massachusetts Highway Department: French King Bridge Archived from the original on 2015-09-30. Retrieved 2025-01-10.