Thursday, January 10, 2019

1909 Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge over East River in NYC

(Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges, HAER; 3D Satellite, 201+ photos)

Ed Koch was added to the name in March 2011. [Bridge Hunter] Another source says the name was changed Dec 8, 2010. The bridge is also known as the 59th Street Bridge.

Jose Vicente Sendin posted
1910. Queensborough Bridge
[The sailboat and steamer are reminders that 1910 looked a lot different than today. Judging from the low skyline in the background, I assume this was taken from the Manhattan side.]
Significance:  At the time of construction [1901-1909], the Queensboro Bridge contained the longest cantilever span in America. (And it "was designed for heavier loads than any other bridges." [NYCDOT] "With a total length of 7,449 feet [including approaches], at the time of its completion it was the fourth longest bridge in the world." [study])
Specifications:  Cantilever Bridge; steel construction; channel spans of 1,182 feet and 942 feet, two anchor spans of 630 feet, shore arms of 469 and 459 feet; cantilever trusses 60 feet apart.
[HAERdata from ny0326]

Angel Rios posted

New York City photo of Roosevelt Island & Queensboro Bridge.

Photo Image Date: January 6, 1937
Photographer/Credit: U.S. Army Air Forces / RMP Archive
Bridges Now and Then shared
 
Skip Schultz commented to show the small bridge that has been added to allow cars to access the island.

NYCDOT
[It appears that reconstruction work has been ongoing since 1978. It seems the major work was done in the 1990s. The current contract (6) consists of misc. work.]
Photo from HAER NY,31-NEYO,160--1 from ny0326, 1983
LONG DISTANCE VIEW OF BRIDGE LOOKING TOWARDS MANHATTAN WITH MIDTOWN ON THE RIGHT - Queensboro Bridge, Spanning East river & Blackwell's Island, New York County, NY
eBook, p670
UntappedCities

eBook, p670
eBook, p671
 
Bridges Now and Then posted
"Queensboro Bridge Under Construction, New York City, 1908." (Monovisions)

Neil Califano commented on the above post
Today:

Dave Frieder commented on the above post
The Bridge's Original name was Blackwell's Island Bridge. Because of the institutions on back then Blackwell's island the bridge was renamed Queensboro Bridge as the people in the area did not want the bridge associated with the institutions. First major bridge to directly connect the Borough of Manhattan with the Borough of Queens.

Dave Frieder commented on the above post
Opened to traffic and pedestrians on March 30th 1909. Dedicated and Celebrated beginning June 12th, 1909.

Photo
 
Welcome to New York posted
Old school entry into Manhattan: Queensboro Bridge. Photo by Mingomatic
New York Top Photo posted
Old school entry into Manhattan: Queensboro Bridge. Photo by Mingomatic
 
New York 365 posted
Queensborough bridge, NYC 📸: [instagram.com/opoline]
 
I Love USA posted
Queensboro Bridge Queens-Manhattan
📸mingomatic
John Deasy: At the bottom of the photo you can see an abandoned trackway from where the Second Avenue Elevated Line crossed the upper level of the bridge to/from Queensboro Plaza station. Service ended in June 1942.

Manhattan Railway Company photo  (source)
A downtown 2nd Ave consist of Gate Cars coming off the Queensborough Bridge. Photo: NYC.gov/records

LC-DIG-highsm- 53137
Credit line: Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
Carol M. Highsmith's photographs are in the public domain.
 
Bridges Now and Then posted
On the outer lane of the Queensboro Bridge, New York City, late 1985. (Matt Weber)
 
Bridges Now and Then posted

Dave Frieder commented on BN&T's post
A view of one of the former spiral Staircases that take you to the Lower Observation Balconies. Now the ONLY way to access them is a special way to climb through the Box Beams.

Dave commented on his comment
One of my views from climbing through the box beams. 1997.

Screenshot  (source, comments provide three photos of streetcars on the bridge)
Train Crossing Over The Queensboro Bridge circa 1930s Manhattan Bound.
Mike Henglein NYCT Trains run on this bridge on the lower deck with automobile traffic on top deck.
Tommy Risi Was the other way around when 2nd Avenue El trains ran over the 59th Street/Queensborough Bridge. Trains were on the upper level, and automobile traffic was on the lower level.

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