Monday, August 5, 2024

1889 Carroll and 1905 3rd Street Bridges over Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, NYC, NY

Carrol: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Historic BridgesSatellite)

A 19:24 video about the canal

Carrol Street Bridge


River View, North elevation, Feb 2015

River View, South elevation, Feb 2015

The building on the left was built between Sep 2014 and Oct 2016.
Street View, Oct 2016

Fortunately, the current satellite image caught the span in an open position and taught me that this is a very rare moveable span. In fact, it "is one of two retractile bridges left in New York, and one of four left in the United States." [BridgeHunter_carrol]
Satellite

I fired up Google Earth to find what it looks like when it is in the closed position. The west part of the span rides on rails on a platform built into, and alongside, the river. The east part is cantilevered over the channel.
Google Earth, Jun 2017

Here is a view that catches it partially open.
Google Earth, Nov 2016

Update: Today's (Nov 6, 2024) satellite image not only shows it open, but also shows some river traffic.
Satellite

United States beauty posted two photos with the comment:
The Carroll Street Bridge, located in Brooklyn, New York, spans the Gowanus Canal and connects the neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens and Gowanus. Built in 1889, it is one of only four retractable bridges in the United States and is one of the oldest of its kind still in operation. The bridge is distinctive for its wooden-planked roadway and its manually operated mechanism, which allows it to retract horizontally along rails to let boats pass through the canal.
Constructed with a simple yet innovative design, the bridge features steel trusses and a deck that slides back rather than lifting or swinging open. When a boat approaches, a small team can operate the bridge by hand, rolling it away from the canal to create a navigable space. Its narrow width accommodates just a single lane of traffic, with an adjacent pathway for pedestrians.
The bridge has survived multiple renovations and repairs, maintaining much of its original character and charm. Today, it is an important historical structure and a reminder of Brooklyn’s industrial past, drawing both locals and visitors interested in its unique engineering and historical significance.
1

2

A 1:05 video of the bridge opening. A 2:44 video of the bridge closing starting at about 1:25
.

Third Street Bridge


Anthony Giudice, Oct 2021
 
This bridge is obviously a bascule bridge. But I was uncertain if it was a trunnion or a rolling bridge. HistoricBridges calls it a rolling bridge. In fact, it is one of the oldest rolling bridges in the country. I wonder what the cables hanging from the bridge are for.
Digitally zoomed
 
HistoricBridges, cropped
"Several Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company bridges were built over this canal and featured in a company catalog. This is one of the photos from the catalog. It is not known which one of the bridges is shown here."
 
1 of 3 photos of this bridge posted by Craig Schofield


Both Bridges


2 of the 3 photos posted by Jammie L Andujar with the comment: "Carroll Street, Third Street Bridges over the Gowanus Canal and Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge over the Rockaway Inlet."
1
[This photo shows the cables that pull the span back and forth on the rails.]

2

No comments:

Post a Comment