1901 Willis Avenue: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges)
NYC has some wide swing bridges because they use them for roads as well as railroads.
.University Heights Bridge
"The University Heights Bridge, a steel Pratt/Howe truss, pin-connected, rim bearing swing span draw, with Warren truss approach spans, is one of the oldest swing-type bridges and the third oldest major bridge in New York City. It is the work of some of America's most prominent late 19th. century engineers. Although the bridge originally was built at the northern end of Manhattan, continuing Broadway into the Bronx, it was moved to its present site in a complex process beginning in 1905. It is important as an example of circa 1900 bridge technology, and was a vital link in the extension of the Harlem River, which greatly contributed to the development of New York City. It was designated a New York City Landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1984." [HAER_data]
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| HAER NY,31-NEYO,178- 5. View looking south from Bronx (east) bank showing masonry approach ramp from Landing (exterior) Street. (Dec. 23, 1988) - University Heights Bridge, Spanning Harlem River at 207th Street & West Harlem Road, New York County, NY Photos from Survey HAER NY-199 |
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| Jeffrey Gluck posted University Heights Bridge (207th St./Fordham Rd.) |
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| nyc This 1,566' (477m) long bridge has a main span of 264' (80m). |
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| Boat View, Oct 2016 |
1901+2010 Willis Avenue Bridges
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| Metrotrails posted A view of the Willis Avenue Bridge over the Harlem River from the Manhattan side walkway. The original bridge was a swing span that opened in 1901. The replacement swing bridge was opened in 2010. Chris Gallagher: Unlike other Harlem River bridges, the Willis & 3rd Ave are one way traffic only. They became one way in early 1960's when the avenues in Manhattan became one way streets, before then they all had 2 way traffic, even narrow roads like 5th & Madison. Even the numbered streets were 2 way until the 1890's [Traffic on this bridge is from Manhattan to Bronx.] M'ke Helbing shared |
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| Street View, Sep 2021 |
In 2010, a new span was floated into place. [Flickr album description]
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| New Work City Department... Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND) The New Willis Avenue Bridge |
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| 1 of several photos of the new span being moved to the bridge site [Obviously, here it is going under the Brooklyn Bridge.] |
The $612m 2010 span for this bridge going under the Park Avenue+NYC Bridge.
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| 4:16 timelapse video |
Old span:
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| Street View, May 2009 |
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| Historic Bridges |
Third Avenue Bridge
I found this bridge when I investigated how cars that use the Willis Ave. Bridge would get back to Manhattan.
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| Karl Gerber, Oct 2012, cropped |
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| Street View, Jul 2023 |
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| Street View, Sep 2023 |
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| nyc The 2,800' (853m) long bridge has a 300' (91m) main span. Recently, a $118m project replaced the 1898 bridge. |
This must have been the 1898 bridge.
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| Bridges Now and Then posted Southbound Third Avenue Bridge traffic, NYC, April, 1946. (Harlem River Crossways) |
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| Jeffrey Gluck posted Third Avenue Bridge |
Jul 8, 2024:
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| NYC Fire Wire posted Bronx *UNUSUAL INCIDENT* Box 8958 Third Ave Bridge BRIDGE IS STUCK OPEN DUE TO OVERHEATING. Bridges Now and Then shared |
United States beauty posted two photos with the comment:
The Third Avenue Bridge in New York City is a swing bridge that spans the Harlem River, connecting Manhattan to the Bronx. It carries five lanes of northbound traffic on Third Avenue, providing an important link between the two boroughs. Originally built in 1898, the bridge has undergone several modifications and reconstructions to accommodate the changing needs of the city, including a significant modernization in the early 2000s to enhance safety, durability, and traffic flow.As a swing bridge, the Third Avenue Bridge can pivot to allow maritime traffic to pass along the Harlem River. Though it’s primarily used for vehicle traffic, the bridge also accommodates pedestrians and cyclists. Its structure, with an iconic steel truss design, reflects its historical roots while serving as a critical piece of infrastructure in modern New York City. The bridge’s strategic location supports not only local commuters but also provides a key connection for commercial and emergency vehicles between Manhattan and the Bronx.
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| 1, cropped |
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| 2 |
11:34 video about the Jul 8, 2024, stuck open bridge
As a comment in the above post noted, you should not be spraying just the end of the span. The entire span needs to be cooled because it is the entire span that has expanded. Evidently none of the guys we saw on the span understand that it is the entire length of the span that has expanded. I quit watching after about his fifth "and again."
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