Macombs Dam Bridge
Macombs Dam Bridge | |
|---|---|
 view from the south | |
| Coordinates | 40°49′41″N 73°56′2″W / 40.82806°N 73.93389°W |
| Carries | four lanes of roadway |
| Crosses | Harlem River |
| Locale | Manhattan and the Bronx, in New York City |
| Maintained by | New York City Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Swing bridge |
| Total length | 2,540 feet (770 m) |
| Longest span | 408 feet (124 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | May 1, 1895 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 44,311 (2008)>[1] |
| Location | |
 | |
Macombs Dam Bridge is a swing bridge that spans the Harlem River in New York City, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx near Yankee Stadium. It is the fifth-oldest bridge in New York City and was designated an official landmark in January 1992. The bridge is operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT).
The bridge is located 3.2 miles (5.1 km) from the mouth of the Harlem River. Its total length is 2,540 feet (770 m). The main swing span is 408 feet (124 m) long and provides two shipping channels with 150 feet (46 m) of horizontal clearance. When closed the bridge provides 25 feet of vertical clearance. The total cost of construction was $1.3 million and the bridge opened on May 1, 1895. The designer was Alfred Pancoast Boller.
This bridge is the most recent of several bridges in the area, the first of which (along with the since-demolished lock-and-dam system) opened in 1814. The wooden Central Bridge followed in 1861. It was replaced by the present bridge, designed by Alfred P. Boller, in 1895. The new bridge was initially called the Central Bridge also (a plaque bearing this name still can be seen on the swing span), but the name never stuck--the old name Macombs Dam Bridge remained in popular use. [2]
At the western end of the bridge is the intersection of 155th Street and Seventh Avenue, both of which end at the bridge. At the eastern end, the roadway continues as Jerome Avenue, which extends north into the Bronx and Westchester.
Immediately to the north of the bridge was another swing bridge along which the now-demolished 9th Avenue El reached the Bronx (and the IRT Jerome Avenue Line). The bridge was demolished sometime after this section of the 9th Avenue El ceased operation in 1958.
In 1999, the NYCDOT began a $145 million renovation of the bridge.
For 2011, the New York City Department of Transportation, which operates and maintains the bridge, reported an average daily traffic volume in both directions of 44,311; having reached a peak AADT of 55,609 in 1957.[3]
Public transportation
The Macombs Dam Bridge carries the Bx6 bus route operated by MTA New York City Transit. The route's average weekday ridership is 21,973.[4]
References
Notes
- ^ http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/bridge-traffic-report-11.pdf. Retrieved 2013-02-28.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Macomb's Dam Bridge". bridgesnyc.com. 2010. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ "New York City Bridge Traffic Volumes 2008" (PDF). New York City Department of Transportation. March 2010. p. 74. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
- ^ "Average Weekday NYC Transit Bus Ridership". MTA New York City Transit. 2012. Retrieved 2012-07-04.
External links
- NYC DoT
- Macombs Dam Bridge at Structurae
- NYC roads.com
- Modjeski Construction
- Picture of Putnam Bridge, the now-demolished el bridge that was north of Macombs Dam Bridge
- Side view of above bridge
- Aerial view of Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium, Putnam Bridge and Macombs Dam Bridge
- Macomb's Dam Bridge history at bridgesnyc.com
Crossings of the Harlem River | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
