Pelham Bridge
Downstream side of bridge
Coordinates40°51′43″N 73°48′57″W / 40.86204°N 73.81582°W / 40.86204; -73.81582
CarriesShore Road, Pedestrians, Bicycles
CrossesHutchinson River
LocaleNew York City (The Bronx)
Official namePelham Bridge
Maintained byNew York City Department of Transportation
Characteristics
DesignBascule bridge
MaterialConcrete, Steel
Total length891 feet (272 m)
WidthRoadway:40 feet (12 m), Sidewalk:7.5 feet (2.3 m)
Longest span80 feet (24 m)
No. of spansSeven
Piers in waterSix
Clearance below17.5 feet (5.3 m)
History
Construction startAugust 9, 1906
Construction endFebruary 17, 1909
OpenedOctober 15, 1908
Statistics
Daily traffic16,840 (2016)[1]
Location

The Pelham Bridge is a bascule bridge located in the New York City borough of the Bronx, just downstream of the railroad Pelham Bay Bridge. It carries Shore Road and a walkway along the downstream side, over the Hutchinson River. The bridge is operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation. Crossing the mouth of the river, it is variously called Pelham Bay Bridge[2] and Pelham Bridge.[3][4] The BL45 to/from Eastchester in Westchester County as well as the Bx29, which operates between City Island and Co-op City, operates over this bridge.

The Pelham Bridge opens for maritime traffic frequently; in 2014, it opened 724 times.[5] The watercraft traffic under that bridge is greater than for any other drawbridge in the city.[6]

History

The first bridge at the site, a stone bridge built in 1815, was destroyed in a storm on April 12, 1816. Another bridge was not built at the site for eighteen years.[7]

The current bridge replaced an older one that required constant, expensive maintenance. The new bridge was opened to traffic on October 15, 1908 before it was fully completed, in order to save costs on maintaining the old bridge. During construction, the water main for City Island and Pelham Bay Park had to be interrupted, so water was imported from New Rochelle, costing the city $5,323.93. The bridge was completed on February 17, 1909.[8] at a total cost of $605,274.06.[9] The bridge was reconstructed in 1985.[10]

A celebration of the bridge's centennial took place on October 28, 2008.[6][11]

References

  1. ↑ "New York City Bridge Traffic Volumes" (PDF). New York City Department of Transportation. 2016. p. 9. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Pelham Bay Bridge centennial celebration". The Bronx Times. July 17, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Movable Bridges in the Bronx". New York City Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  4. ↑ Jeremy Steinemann (August 23, 2011). "A 21st Century NEC: The Top Four Failing Bridges that Must Be Replaced". Northeast Alliance for Rail. Constructed in 1907, the bridge is beyond its useful life and must be replaced. A new Pehlam [sic] Bay Bridge would increase speeds on the bridge from 45 to 110 mph.
  5. ↑ "Bridges and Tunnels Annual Condition Report" (PDF). New York City Department of Transportation. 2014. p. 147. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  6. 1 2 Collins, Glenn (September 16, 2008). "Honors for Bridges Many Take for Granted". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
  7. ↑ Bell, Blake (December 8, 2005). "The First Stone Bridge Built Across Eastchester Creek in Pelham, 1814-1815". Historic Pelham. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Pelham Bay Bridge". NYC Bridge Centennial Commission. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Pelham Bridge Facts". Bridges. New York City: New York City Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on June 14, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
  10. ↑ "Pelham Parkway". Eastern Roads. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Events". NYC Bridge Centennial Commission. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
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