Hell Gate Bridge
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The Hell Gate Bridge (originally the New York Connecting Railroad Bridge) is a 1,017-foot (310 m) steel arch railroad bridge between the borough of Queens and Randalls and Wards Islands (which are now joined into one island and are politically part of Manhattan) in New York City, over a portion of the East River known as Hell Gate.
History
The bridge was conceived in the early 1900s for the Pennsylvania Railroad to link New York to New England. It was completed on September 30, 1916. Construction was overseen by Gustav Lindenthal. In 1996, it received a facelift, including its first comprehensive paint job in 80 years. It was painted "Hell Gate Red" - a dark, natural red.
Built to carry a total of 4 tracks, two each for passenger and freight, the bridge now carries 3 tracks; the fourth (freight) track was abandoned in the mid-1970s. At one time, all tracks were electrified with the PRR-NH standard 11 kV 25 Hz overhead catenary; the passenger tracks since 1917, and the freight tracks from 1927 to 1969.
Hell Gate Bridge is used by Amtrak and by some CSX, Canadian Pacific, and New York and Atlantic freight trains. The bridge and structure are owned by Amtrak, part of its Washington, D.C. to Boston electrified main line known as the Northeast Corridor. Future plans may also bring Metro-North Railroad trains on the bridge. The bridge is also part of the New York Connecting Railroad, a rail line that links New York City and Long Island to the North American mainland.
The Hell Gate Bridge runs parallel to one span of the Triborough Bridge, which connects Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan, and drivers can see the length of the bridge just east of the roadway.
Trivia
The Hell Gate bridge:- Was the world's longest steel arch bridge until the Bayonne Bridge was opened in 1932.
- May still be the world's strongest steel arch bridge, though the steel arch Sydney Harbour Bridge, which is believed to have been based on or inspired by the Hell Gate Bridge, has been reinforced since the World Trade Centre attack in 2001. As a point of comparison the bridge can hold a total load of 150,000 tons (dead and live) [#endnote_nycroads], and the total weight of the Empire State Building is 365,000 tons [#endnote_newyorktransportation].
- Was a target for Nazi demolition experts during World War II.
- Is a centerpiece of the 1991 film Queens Logic.
- Is prominently featured as the site of a secret meeting (at its base) in the 1973 film Serpico.
- Measures more than 17,000 feet (5.2 km) long, including approach spans.
- Would be the last New York City bridge to collapse if humans disappeared, taking a least a millennium to do so, according to the February 2005 issue of Discover magazine. Most other bridges would fall in about 300 years. [#endnote_Discover]
See also
- New York Connecting Railroad
- Sydney Harbour Bridge - Designed by John Bradfield in 1916 and believed to have been influenced by the Hell Gate Bridge.
External links
- [Hell Gate Bridge]
- [Aerial photo] (Google Maps)
Notes
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