| Bear Mountain Bridge | |
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| View from east bank, looking northwest; Popolopen Torne behind tower | |
| Carries |   2 lanes of US 6/US 202 and Appalachian Trail |
| Crosses | Hudson River |
| Locale | NW of Peekskill, NY |
| Maintained by | New York State Bridge Authority |
| Design | Suspension bridge |
| Total length | 2,255 ft (687 m) |
| Width | 48 ft (15 m) |
| Longest span | 1,632 feet (497 m)[1] |
| Clearance below | 156 ft (47 m) |
| AADT | 20,000 |
| Opened | November 27, 1924 |
| Toll | Cars $1.00 (eastbound) |
| Coordinates | 41°19′12″N 73°59′01″W / 41.31989°N -73.98372°ECoordinates: 41°19′12″N 73°59′01″W / 41.31989°N -73.98372°E |
The Bear Mountain Bridge is a toll suspension bridge in New York State, carrying U.S. Highways 202 and 6 across the Hudson River between Orange and Westchester counties. From the time of its completion in 1924, it held the record for the longest suspension bridge in the world for 19 months, until it was surpassed by the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia.
The span enables connections to the Palisades Interstate Parkway and U.S. Highway 9W on the west bank near Bear Mountain Inn to New York State Route 9D on the east. It also carries the Appalachian Trail across the Hudson.
The span includes pedestrian walkways on both sides of the bridge. Cyclists are welcome on the roadway or may walk their cycles on the pedestrian walkway.
Contents |
History
Hudson Highland Suspension Bridge
Plans for a bridge at the site had been made as early as 1868. The following year, the New York Times reported that a contract had been signed and construction would "speedily commence" on the "Hudson Highland Suspension Bridge" between Fort Clinton and Anthony's Nose. The intent was to carry a railroad toward Derby, Connecticut, to supply coal and iron for industry in the lower Naugatuck Valley. The surface of the bridge was to be 150 feet (46 m) above high tide. In 1871 the newspaper reported that capital of $2.5 million had been raised and construction was expected to begin in 1875.
In 1887, reports said the bridge would be finished in two years. By 1889, "work on the anchor pits was progressing rapidly."[2]
The story again resurfaces in 1896, when the Hudson Highland Bridge and Railway Company reportedly filed for incorporation with capital of $84,900. The company was described as a reorganization of the former Hudson Suspension Bridge and New England Railway Company, which at some point included steel magnate Andrew Carnegie on its board.
Much of this period coincided with the so-called Long Depression, including stock market crashes called the Panic of 1873 and Panic of 1893. A charter for construction of the bridge expired in 1916.[3]
| Bear Mountain Bridge | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Location: | Stony Point, New York |
| Coordinates: | 41°19′12″N 73°58′49″W / 41.32°N 73.98028°W |
| Built/Founded: | 1923 |
| Architect: | Baird,Howard C.; Terr & Tench Construction Co. |
| Governing body: | State |
| MPS: | Hudson Highlands MRA |
| Added to NRHP: | November 23, 1982[4] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 82001266 |
Bear Mountain Hudson River Bridge Company
In March 1922, the state Legislature authorized creation of the private Bear Mountain Hudson River Bridge Company to complete the project, including a three-mile (5 km) approach road from the Albany Post Road north of Peekskill. The 11-member board of directors included financiers E. Roland Harriman and George W. Perkins. A $4.5 million bond issue was completed in April of that year through the Harriman banking and brokerage firm. Under the 1922 charter, ownership of the bridge was to revert by 1962 from the bridge company to New York State, which also had the right to acquire the bridge at any time.[5]
Completion
When the bridge formally opened on November 27, 1924, it was the longest suspension bridge span in the world, and the first of its type to have a concrete deck. It was the first automobile bridge to cross the Hudson south of Albany, surpassing the 1888 Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge as the southernmost crossing of the river.
Construction methods pioneered on the Bear Mountain Bridge influenced much larger projects to follow, including the George Washington (1931) and Golden Gate (1937) bridges. Completion also inspired the state to extend the Bronx River Parkway from Kensico Dam northward, work which evolved into the Bear Mountain Parkway and the first phase of the Taconic State Parkway.
New York State Bridge Authority
Ownership was transferred to the New York State Bridge Authority in 1940 and the toll was reduced to a flat rate of 50 cents per automobile. [6] In 1982 the bridge and its then-abandoned original toll house several miles away on the Peekskill approach road, Routes 6 and 202, were added to the National Register of Historic Places.[4]
As of 2008, the automobile toll was $1, collected from eastbound travelers only.
Maintenance innovation
The Bear Mountain bridge was used to develop and test a new material designed to lower the cost and environmental impact of bridge cable maintenance. For over 100 years, a red lead paste material was used to seal the strands of bridge cables to prevent moisture intrusion. The lead-based material, an environmental hazard, was also prone to drying out and cracking in a few years.
During routine inspections, bridge cables are unwrapped and wedges are used to separate the individual stands. Inspectors look for signs of moisture and corrosion throughout the cable. In the 1990s engineers experimented with several materials on a small section of the cables of the Bear Mountain Bridge. After a year the test areas were reexamined and one polymer-based, non-toxic paste material was found to be superior. The bridge cables were then rewrapped in 2000 using the material. The cables were found to be free of additional moisture or corrosion in a 2007 inspection. New York State Bridge Authority chief engineer William Moreau is hopeful that the new material will lengthen the life of the cables, and lower the need for inspection and maintenance.[7]
 View from Bear Mountain |
 Heading westbound over the bridge |
 The bridge from Bear Mountain State Park in autumn |
 Old Bear Mountain Bridge Toll House along Routes 6 and 202 between bridge and Peekskill, today used as information center for surrounding parkland. |
References
- Technical description and dimensions of Bear Mountain Bridge at Structurae
- ^ Guide to Civil Engineering Projects In and Around New York City (2nd ed.). Metropolitan Section, American Society of Civil Engineers. 2009. p. 31.
- ^ "The Anthony Nose Bridge.; Work on the Anchor Pits Progressing Rapidly". New York Times. September 4, 1889.
- ^ "New Scenic Motor Highway in Highlands of the Hudson". New York Times: p. XX6. May 6, 1923.
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://www.nr.nps.gov/.
- ^ "Would Span Hudson at Bear Mountain". New York Times: p. 27. February 9, 1922.
- ^ "State Recaptures Bear Mt Bridge". New York Times: p. 21. August 8, 1940.
- ^ "Sticky solution". Bridge Design & Engineering. May 25, 2008. http://www.bridgeweb.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1482/Sticky_solution.html. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
External links
- New York State Bridge Authority site
- Bear Mountain Bridge at nycroads.com
- Bear Mountain Bridge at bridgemeister.com
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