| Queensboro Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Close-up of Queensboro Bridge at Long Island City, Queens. Long Island City (often abbreviated LIC) is the western-most neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. |
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| Carries | 10 lanes (4 upper, 6 lower) of NY 25 |
| Crosses | East River |
| Locale | New York City (Manhattan–Queens) |
| Maintained by | New York City Department of Transportation |
| Design | Double-decked Cantilever bridge |
| Longest span | 360. New York State Route 25 is a major east-west road running from east midtown Manhattan, New York City, to the Cross Sound Ferry terminal at Orient Point The East River is a tidal Strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end The City of New York Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York The New York City Department of Transportation ( NYCDOT or DOT) is responsible for the management of much of New York City A cantilever bridge is a Bridge built using Cantilevers structures that project horizontally into space supported on only one end 27 meters (1,182 feet) (west span) 299. 92 meters (984 feet) (east span) 192. 024 meters (630 feet) (center span) |
| Total length | 1,135. 08 meters (3,724 feet) |
| Vertical clearance | 12 feet (3. 6 m) (upper level) |
| AADT | 192,000 |
| Opening date | March 30, 1909 |
| Toll | Free |
The Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge, is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in 1909. Annual average daily traffic, abbrevated AADT, is a measure used primarily in Transportation planning and transportation engineering. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting A cantilever bridge is a Bridge built using Cantilevers structures that project horizontally into space supported on only one end The East River is a tidal Strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end The City of New York It connects the neighborhood of Long Island City in the borough of Queens with Manhattan, passing over Roosevelt Island. Long Island City (often abbreviated LIC) is the western-most neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Roosevelt Island, formerly known as Welfare Island, and before that Blackwell's Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York It carries New York State Route 25 and once carried NY 24 and NY 25A as well. New York State Route 25 is a major east-west road running from east midtown Manhattan, New York City, to the Cross Sound Ferry terminal at Orient Point New York State Route 24 ( NY 24) is a State highway in New York that exists in two sections New York State Route 25A is a New York State highway and the main East-West route for most of the North Shore of Long Island, running from the
The Queensboro Bridge is the westernmost of the four East River spans that carry a route number: NY 25 terminates at the west (Manhattan) side of the bridge. It is commonly called the "59th Street Bridge" because its Manhattan end is located between 59th and 60th Streets.
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History
Serious proposals for a bridge linking Manhattan to Long Island City were first made as early as 1838 and attempts to finance such a bridge were made by a private company beginning in 1867. Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Its efforts never came to fruition and the company went bankrupt in the 1890s. Successful plans finally came about in 1903 under the city's new Department of Bridges, led by Gustav Lindenthal in collaboration with Leffert L. Buck and Henry Hornbostel, designers of the Williamsburg Bridge. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Gustav Lindenthal ( May 21, 1850 &ndash July 31, 1935) was a Civil engineer who designed the Hell Gate Bridge among other Leffert L Buck (1837 in Canton New York - July 17, 1909) was an American civil engineer and a pioneer in the use of steel arch bridge structures Henry Hornbostel (1867 - 1961 was an American Architect. He designed more than 225 buildings bridges and monuments in the United States currently 22 are listed The Williamsburg Bridge is a Suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan Construction soon began but it would take until 1909 for the bridge to be completed due to delays from the collapse of an incomplete span during a windstorm and from labor unrest (including an attempt to dynamite one span). Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The bridge opened to the public on March 30, 1909, having cost about $18 million and 50 lives. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting It was then known as the Blackwell's Island Bridge, from an earlier name for Roosevelt Island. Between 1930 and 1955, there was a vehicular elevator to transport cars and passengers to and from Welfare Island, now known as Roosevelt Island. Roosevelt Island, formerly known as Welfare Island, and before that Blackwell's Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York This was demolished in 1970.
The lengths of its five spans and approaches are:
- 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)
The bridge has two levels. Originally the top level contained two pedestrian walks and two elevated railway tracks (as a spur from the IRT Second Avenue Elevated Line) and the lower deck four motor traffic lanes, and what is now the "outer roadway" and pedestrian walk were two trolley lanes. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway The IRT Second Avenue Line was an Elevated railway in Manhattan, New York City, United States, operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit There was a trolley stop in the middle of the bridge for access to Roosevelt Island. Passengers using the mid-bridge station would transfer to a structure built alongside the bridge containing elevators down to street level. The railway would be removed in the late 1930s and early 1940s as well as the 2nd Avenue Elevated Line. The trolley lanes and mid-bridge station were removed in the 1950s, and for the next few decades the bridge carried 11 lanes of automobile traffic.
No tolls are charged for motor vehicles to use the bridge.
The bridge was known as the 59th Street Bridge before WWII.
Today
After years of decay and corrosion, an extensive renovation of the Queensboro Bridge was begun in 1987 and is still in progress, having cost over $300 million. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar)
The upper level of the Queensboro Bridge has four lanes of automobile traffic and provides an excellent view of the bridge's cantilever truss structure and the New York skyline. The lower level has six lanes, the inner four for automobile traffic and the outer two for either automobile traffic or pedestrians and bicycles. The North Outer Roadway was converted into a permanent pedestrian walk and bicycle path in 1999.
The Manhattan approach to the bridge is supported on a series of Guastavino tile vaults which now form the elegant ceiling of the Food Emporium and the restaurant Guastavino's, located under the bridge. Guastavino tile is the "Tile Arch System" patented in the US in 1885 by Valencian (Spanish architect and builder Rafael Guastavino (1842&ndash1908 Originally, this open air promenade was known as Bridgemarket and was part of Hornbostel's attempt to make the bridge more hospitable in the city.
Rail tracks
In addition to the two rapid transit tracks, the bridge also had four streetcar tracks. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train The following Queens lines operated over the bridge:
- Queensboro Bridge Local, 1909-1957 (last streetcar line in the city)
- Astoria Line, 1910-1939
- Steinway Line, 1910-1939
- Queens Boulevard Line, 1913-1937
- College Point Line, 1910-1925
- Corona Line, 1910-1922
One Manhattan line operated over the bridge, the Third Avenue Railway's 42nd Street Crosstown Line from 1910 to 1919. The Third Avenue Railway System (TARS was a Street railroad company in the U
In popular culture
- In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway traverse the bridge on their way from Long Island to Manhattan. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24 1896 – December 21 1940 was an American writer of Novels and Short stories, whose works are evocative of the The Great Gatsby is a Novel by the American author F Scott Fitzgerald. "The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge," Nick says, "is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world".
- The bridge is displayed during the opening credits of the television series Taxi, as a cab (driven by series star Tony Danza) drives across it. Taxi is an American sitcom that originally aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC, and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. Tony Danza (born Antonio Salvatore Iadanza on April 21, 1951 in Brooklyn New York) is an American Actor best known for starring
- The bridge is mentioned in the opening theme of the comedy series The King of Queens. The King of Queens is an Emmy -nominated American Sitcom that ran for nine seasons from 1998 to 2007
- The bridge is the setting for a scene in the 2002 film Spider-Man in which the Green Goblin throws Mary Jane Watson from the bridge, and Spider-Man must decide between saving her or passengers on the Roosevelt Island Tramway. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Spider-Man is a 2002 American Superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The Green Goblin is a name shared by several fictional Supervillains that appear in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. Mary Jane Watson is a fictional Supporting character appearing in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. Spider-Man is a Fictional character appearing in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an Aerial tramway in New York City that spans the East River and connects Roosevelt Island to Manhattan
- The bridge was used in the thrill ride Kongfrontation at Universal Studios Florida. Universal Studios Florida is an Amusement park located in Orlando Florida. The ride, based on King Kong, had passengers riding the Roosevelt Island Tramway from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island. King Kong is the name of a fictional giant ape from the fictional Skull Island, who has appeared in several works since 1933 The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an Aerial tramway in New York City that spans the East River and connects Roosevelt Island to Manhattan A mechanical King Kong attacked the cars while hanging off the bridge.
- The bridge is seen in the Woody Allen film Manhattan in an iconic visual. Woody Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; December 1 1935 is an American Film director, Writer, Actor, Comedian, and Manhattan is a 1979 Romantic comedy film about Isaac Davis ( Woody Allen) a twice-divorced 42-year-old comedy writer dating a 17-year-old
- The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) is a song by folk music duo Simon & Garfunkel. " The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy " is a short and whimsical song by Folk music duo Simon and Garfunkel, appearing on their 1966 album Simon & Garfunkel are an American Singer-songwriter duo of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.
References
External links
- NYC.gov
- NYCroads.com
- Transportation Alternatives Fiboro Bridges - Queensboro Bridge
- Queensboro Bridge in the Structurae database
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