The University Heights Bridge

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The University Heights Bridge
Spans Manhattan to the Bronx crossing the Harlem River.
From 207th Street in Inwood to West Fordham Road in University Heights.

Before the current bridge was erected, a wooden footbridge known as the 'Fordham Footbridge' crossed the the same point of the then shallow, Harlem River. This bridge was removed in 1895 when the Harlem River Ship Channel was dug and the northern stretch of the river became navigable by ships.

Replacing the bridge turned out to be a bit more complicated than expected. The New York City Department of Bridges favored a newfangled lift bridge, but the city wouldn't pay for it and opted for a cheaper 'swing' style. The Broadway Bridge was due for replacement as part of the opening up of the river, and so they decided to reuse the center span of the Broadway Bridge in the new University Heights Bridge.

Alfred P. Boller, who designed the Madison Avenue, 145th Street and Macombs Dam swing bridges, designed the New University Heights Bridge as well, and work began in November 1903.
The old Broadway Bridge span was floated down the river and lifted onto the new center pier in June 1906.
The University Heights Bridge opened to traffic on January 8, 1908.



Beginning in 1989, the NYCDOT undertook a $35 million project to rebuild the bridge. A new swing span was barged to the site and hoisted into place, and new electrical and mechanical controls were installed. The renovation was completed in 1992.
The swing mechanism below the center span of the current bridge.





View from the span looking South down the Harlem River towards the Alexander Hamilton Bridge.

The similarity to the Macombs Dam Bridge is most obvious in the aesthetic of the bridge, most prominently in the little decorative gazebos and frivolous decorative elements that adorn both bridges.
But the University Heights Bridge suffers in comparison due to it's location.



From 10th Avenue on one end to the entrance of the Major Deegan Expressway on the other, according to the DOT, the bridge carries 45,000 vehicles per day (as of 2007?).
Crossing on foot or by bicycle is done only via the sidewalk and the approach on the Bronx side is especially hazardous due to traffic.



The University Heights bridge celebrated it's 100th birthday in 2008 with little fanfare although it is one of only ten bridges in New York City to have been granted landmark status.



The University Heights Bridge circa 1933
From the collection of the NYPL

Type of bridge: Swing
Construction started: November 18, 1903
Opened to traffic: January 8, 1908
Length of main span: 267 feet
Length of two channels: 100 feet
Total length of bridge and approaches: 1,566 feet
Width of bridge: 50 feet
Width of roadway: 33 feet, 6 inches
Number of traffic lanes: 2 lanes
Clearance at center above mean high water: 25 feet
Foundation type: Caisson
Cost of original structure: $1,200,000

Bridge facts from NYC Roads.com


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The Queensboro Bridge

Only 2,014 more to go...



The Queensboro, AKA 59th Street Bridge

Spans - The East River, East and West Channel
From Midtown Manhattan East, across Roosevelt Island, to Queensbridge, Queens



Open to traffic - March 30, 1909
No Toll
Manhattan to Roosevelt Island span length: 1,182 ft (360 m)
Roosevelt Island span length: 630 ft (192 m)
Roosevelt Island to Queens span length: 984 ft (300 m)
side span lengths: 469 and 459 ft (143 and 140 m)
total length between anchorages: 3724 ft (1135 m)
total length including approaches: 7449 ft (2270 m)


"Originally christened Blackwell’s Island Bridge, and intended to link Manhattan’s Harlem Line with the Long Island Railroad, the colossal, two-decked Queensboro Bridge is one of the greatest cantilever bridges in the history of American bridge design.
A collaboration between the famed bridge engineer Gustav Lindenthal (1850-1935) and architect Henry Hornbostel, the Queensboro’s massive, silver-painted trusses span the East River between 59th Street in Manhattan and Long Island City in Queens and offer spectacular views of midtown Manhattan, highlighted by the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and the United Nations. Often referred to as the 59th Street Bridge, the Queensboro’s completion preceded that of the Manhattan Bridge by nine months."
NYCDOT


View from 59th Street in Manhattan

The Beaux-Arts style bridge was given landmark status in 1974, one of only ten such designations in NYC.


View from Roosevelt Island



The bridge has been immortalized by numerous artists and musicians, including Simon & Garfunkel in their hit song, "The 59th Street Bridge Song/Feelin’ Groovy."
It has also served as a famous backdrop, denoting the wealth and luxury of an East Side, Sutton Place address in movies such as "The Tender Trap" where it is prominently visible through the windows of Frank Sinatra's bachelor pad.
More recently, the Green Goblin forced a showdown with Spiderman at the bridge by dangling ladylove, MaryJane from one of the supports while simultaneously threatening the passengers of the Roosevelt Island tramway.



Pedestrian and Bicycle access to the Queensboro Bridge -
"The North Outer Roadway is open for the exclusive use of bicyclists and pedestrians 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The path connects Long Island City with Midtown Manhattan. T.A. worked for nearly twenty years to see this permanent route established. Nicknamed "The People's Roadway," the path's temporary closures in the 1980s and 1990s became a potent symbol of government indifference to bicyclists and walkers. Today, the path is a heavily used bike commuter route, though the existing Manhattan approach forces cyclists exiting to the south to make a dangerous three-block detour in order to reach Second Avenue." - TransAlt.org

Manhattan entrance: 60th Street, between Second and First Avenues
Queens entrance: Queens Plaza and Crescent Street



Map from Fiboro Bridges

Other bridge factoids -
You can walk out of the front door of Scores on the Manhattan side, straight onto the pedestrian walkway, across to LIC, Queens and into Scandals - if a walking tour of NYC strip clubs is your idea of fun.
Until 1970, an industrial sized elevator connected Roosevelt Island with the bridge. It was big enough to carry vehicles and a proposal is now on the table to revisit the idea. Due to increased security in post - 9/11 NYC, water traffic is often re-routed away from the United Nations to the East Channel of the river. The passing ships require that the Roosevelt Island drawbridge be raised, cutting the island off to vehicles.
In an article published Feb, 4 1909, the New York Times reported that 235 people had applied for permission to be the first to jump off the soon to be completed bridge. Some were professional divers, other parachutists, a few were just desperate, but in the end they were all denied.
"The Celebration Committee announces that no bridge jumping will be allowed."


Type of bridge: Cantilever (multi-span)
Construction started: July 19, 1901
Opened to traffic: March 30, 1909
Length of western main span: 1,182 feet
Length of eastern main span: 984 feet
Length of bridge between anchorages: 3,724 feet, 6 inches
Total length of bridge and approaches: 7,449 feet
Width of bridge: 100 feet
Number of decks: 2 decks
Number of traffic lanes: 9 lanes (4 upper, 5 lower)
Height of towers above mean high water: 350 feet
Clearance at center above mean high water: 130 feet
Total structural steel used on bridge: 50,000 tons
Cost of original structure: $20,000,000

Bridge facts from NYC Roads.com


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The Williamsburg Bridge

Only 2,016 more to go...



Looking towards Brooklyn from the East River


Spans - Manhattan-Brooklyn, East River
Delancey Street, LES to Broadway, Williamsburg Brooklyn.

Construction on the bridge began in 1896, and the bridge opened on December 19, 1903. Leffert L. Buck was chief engineer and Henry Hornbostel was architect. It was the second bridge to span the East River in NYC and at the time it was constructed, it set the record for the longest suspension bridge span on Earth which it took from it's neighbor, the Brooklyn Bridge, which had held the title for 17 years.




Wrapping Cables on the Williamsburg Bridge - From the NYPL Collection

"It is an unconventional structure, as suspension bridges go; though the main span hangs from cables in the usual manner, the side spans leading to the approaches are cantilevered, drawing no support from the cables above. The main span of the bridge is 1600 feet (488 m) long. The entire bridge is 7308 feet (2227 m) long between cable anchor terminals, and the deck is 118 feet (36 m) wide. The height at the center of the bridge is 135 feet (41 m) and each tower is 335 feet (102 m); these measurements taken from the river's surface at high water mark.

This bridge and the Manhattan Bridge are the only suspension bridges in New York City that still carry both automobile and rail traffic. In addition to this two-track rail line, connecting the New York City Subway's BMT Nassau Street Line and BMT Jamaica Line, there were once two sets of trolley tracks."
wikipedia



"For a brief period, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) ran passenger service along an elevated extension across the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan. The LIRR spur split from the existing Atlantic Avenue line northwest onto the Broadway elevated line (today's J, M and Z subway lines), crossed the Williamsburg Bridge, and continued south to Chambers Street.

The bridge not only served the traffic needs of a growing population, but also greatly affected migration patterns of ethnic groups. Before the bridge opened, first- and second-generation Irish and German settlers (who called the enclave "Kleine Deutschland") lived in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. When it opened, an influx of Jewish settlers from the overcrowded Lower East Side crossed the "Jews' Bridge" into Williamsburg. In turn, long-time residents moved out to Queens.

As early as 1964, The New York World-Telegram and Sun reported that the bridge had fallen in such a state of disrepair that rust rained down on pedestrians. The only fresh paint was the graffiti scrawled in by vandals. During the 1970's, the pedestrian walkways were closed after a maintenance worker was mugged while doing his job."
nyc roads.com



In the 1980's, the Bridge was in terrible condition after years of neglect and the City's near bankruptcy during the 1970's. It was closed completely for emergency repair work and for many years following was under constant renovation which impacted traffic in one direction or the other. Trains were re-routed and followed a strict speed limit when crossing the bridge. In 1999 service halted entirely to allow repairs on the center lanes of the bridge which carry train traffic.



"The Williamsburg Bridge is one of the major crossings of the East River, carrying approximately 140,000 motorists, 92,000 subway/bus riders, 600 bikers and 500 pedestrians between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn and serving some of the busiest arteries in New York City."
NYCDOT



View of the Pedestrian and Bike Pathway Entrance on Delancey Street in Manhattan.

"The new footpath/bikeway has one common access point for pedestrians and cyclists in Manhattan at Clinton Street, which leads to a crossover before the main span of the bridge to enable people to access either the north or south paths. The north path is open to both pedestrians and bicyclists and leads to an access point at Washington Park in Brooklyn. The south path is dedicated to pedestrians an leads to an access point at Bedford Avenue. Completion of the new north walkway also means that, for the first time ever, the bridge is accessible to wheelchair users and meets the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act."
NYCDOT

One of my favorite little NY hidden gems is the fact that the pedestrian and bike paths end at Roebling Street on the Brooklyn side. That would be the street named after John A. Roebling, civil engineer and designer of the Brooklyn Bridge, which the Williamsburg Bridge superseded as the world's longest suspension bridge of it's time.

Type of bridge: Suspension
Construction started: November 7, 1896
Opened to traffic: December 19, 1903
Length of main span: 1,600 feet
Length of side spans: 300 feet
Length, anchorage to anchorage: 2,200 feet
Total length of bridge and approaches: 7,308 feet
Number of traffic lanes: 8 lanes
Number of subway tracks: 2 tracks
Height of towers above mean high water: 310 feet
Clearance at center above mean high water: 135 feet
Number of cables: 4 cables
Length of each of four cables: 2,985 feet
Diameter of each cable: 18¾ inches
Total length of wires: 17,500 miles
Weight of cables and suspenders: 4,344 tons
Structural material: Steel
Tower material: Steel
Deck material: Steel
Cost of original structure: $24,200,000

Bridge statistics from nyc roads.com



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The Carroll Street Bridge

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The Carroll Street Bridge in Brooklyn is one of five bridges which span the Gowanus Canal. The canal has long been considered the dividing line between the Carroll Gardens and Park Slope neighborhoods although it is sometimes now referred to as it's own community - 'Gowanus'.

The five bridges are some of the most picturesque in the city and are, in order from North to South, The Union Street Bridge, The Carroll Street Bridge, The Third Street Bridge, The Ninth Street Bridge, and the Hamilton Avenue Drawbridge which runs parallel to the Gowanus Expressway at the mouth of the canal.

The Carroll Street Bridge was built in 1888 and is the oldest of only four retractile bridges in the United States. It rolls back horizontally on wheels set on steel rails in order to clear the waterway. The bridge was designated a NYC landmark in 1987.



View of the pulley and cable retraction system.

According to the EPA, the bridge was opened for water traffic 228 times in 1999 (the last year I could find available data.)



The approach is still cobblestoned and the bridge itself is wooden planking. One of the better unnoticed details is the sign which remains atop the structure:



"Ordinance of the City
Any Person Driving over
this Bridge Faster than
a Walk will be Subject to
a Penalty of Five Dollars
for Each Offence."

(Caps are theirs)

Type of Bridge: Retractile
Opened to traffic: 1889
Roadway Width: 17 feet
Sidewalks: Two 4.5 foot wide sidewalks


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The Macombs Dam Bridge

Only 2,023 more to go...



Spans - Manhattan-Bronx, Harlem River.

The bridge and adjoining park were named for the Macomb family who operated a dam and mill on the site.
As use of the Harlem River increased in the 1830's, the dam, which blocked all but the smallest of boats became a local bone of contention. In 1838, a group of local citizens rammed the dam with a coal barge and destroyed it by chopping through it with axes.
In the course of the following lawsuit and court case, the dam was found to be "a public nuisance..." built "without authority of law...the Legislature did not authorize the obstruction of the navigation of the river in the manner in which it was done by the dam in question."



After the Brooklyn and Washington Bridges, Macomb's Dam Bridge is the third oldest major bridge in New York City. It was designated a city landmark in 1992.
At the time of its construction, its massive steel central swing span was considered to be the world's heaviest movable mass.

Type of bridge: Moveable - Swing
Construction started: April 1, 1892
Opened to traffic: May 1, 1895
Length of main span: 412 feet
Length of two channels: 150 feet
Total length of bridge and approaches: 2,540 feet
Width of bridge: 60 feet
Width of roadway: 40 feet
Number of traffic lanes: 4 lanes
Clearance at center above mean high water: 28 feet
Foundation type: Caisson
Cost of original structure: $1,800,000


Bridge statistics from nycroads.com



The bridge is a handy way to access Yankee Stadium and can get fairly crowded before or after a home game in the Bronx.


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