A unique project delivery method, referred to as "owner facilitated design/build", partnered Maine DOT with FIGG as the designer and Cianbro/Reed & Reed LLC as the contractor.

Robert Carlson, a well-known figure in the Bangor area, who was found in the Penobscot River beneath the bridge on November 13, 2011.

As an alternative, two solar-powered phones were installed on each end of the bridge in May 2015 which connect users to a suicide hotline.

State officials were aware of instances the phones were not functional, and increased inspections of them to weekly from the previous monthly.

The phones were found to be out of order on June 23, 2017, when an abandoned car on the bridge resulted in a search of the Penobscot River by authorities looking for its driver.

[7] The emergency phones on the Penobscot Narrows Bridge were reported out of order following another suicide in 2021.

[25] In May 2022, the Maine legislature was reportedly planning to "pull together a study group on suicides by bridge.

Hancock County Sheriff's Deputies began receiving reports of damaged cars that morning and upon inspection recommended to MaineDOT that the bridge be closed.

After closing the bridge, Maine State Police officers negotiated with the woman by loudspeaker, and she surrendered after approximately 20 minutes.