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Bronx–Whitestone Bridge

1939 establishments in New York CityBridge Light DisplaysBridges by Othmar AmmannBridges completed in 1939Bridges in Queens, New York
Bridges in the BronxBridges on the Interstate Highway SystemBridges over the East RiverHistoric American Engineering Record in New York CityInterstate 78Road bridges in New York CityRobert Moses projectsSteel bridges in the United StatesSuspension bridges in New York CityThroggs Neck, BronxToll bridges in New York CityTolled sections of Interstate HighwaysTriborough Bridge and Tunnel AuthorityUse mdy dates from May 2019Whitestone, Queens
Whitestone Bridge from Clason Point Park
Whitestone Bridge from Clason Point Park

The Bronx–Whitestone Bridge (colloquially referred to as the Whitestone Bridge or simply the Whitestone) is a suspension bridge in New York City, carrying six lanes of Interstate 678 over the East River. The bridge connects Throggs Neck and Ferry Point Park in the Bronx, on the East River's northern shore, with the Whitestone neighborhood of Queens on the southern shore. Although the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge's construction was proposed as early as 1905, it was not approved until 1936. The bridge was designed by Swiss-American architect Othmar Ammann and design engineer Allston Dana and opened to traffic with four lanes on April 29, 1939. The bridge's design was similar to that of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which collapsed in 1940. As a result, extra stiffening trusses were added to the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge in the early 1940s, and it was widened to six lanes during the same project. The Bronx–Whitestone Bridge was also renovated in 1988–1991 to repair the anchorages, roadways, and drainage. The stiffening trusses were removed during a renovation in the mid-2000s, and the bridge's deck and approach viaducts were replaced soon afterward. The Bronx–Whitestone Bridge is owned by New York City and operated by MTA Bridges and Tunnels, an affiliate agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. With a center span of 2,300 feet (700 m), the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge once had the fourth-largest center span of any suspension bridge in the world. The bridge has a total length of 3,700 feet (1,100 m), and its towers reach 377 feet (115 m) above water level.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Bronx–Whitestone Bridge (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Bronx–Whitestone Bridge
Malba Drive, New York Queens

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Wikipedia: Bronx–Whitestone BridgeContinue reading on Wikipedia

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Latitude Longitude
N 40.801111111111 ° E -73.829166666667 °
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Bronx-Whitestone Bridge

Malba Drive
11357 New York, Queens
New York, United States
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Whitestone Bridge from Clason Point Park
Whitestone Bridge from Clason Point Park
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Nearby Places

Mall Eighteen

Mall Eighteen is a traffic mall acquired by New York City for park purposes in 1913 and completed as a park in 1918. At the time, the eastern end of this park served as a plaza for the College Point Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station. It is named after 18th Avenue on which it is located. The area surrounding this community was first settled in 1645 when colonial Dutch Governor Willem Kieft purchased the parcel of land and granted use to Dutch and English families. College Point takes its name from St. Paul’s College, a shortly-operated college that was founded in 1838 and discontinued in 1850. College Point remained a primarily rural town until the mid-1850s, when rubber factory executive Conrad Poppenhusen arrived in the region and spurred a rapid industrialization of the area. To attract travelers and customers to College Point, Poppenhusen financed the construction of the Whitestone Branch of the LIRR in 1869. The rail line terminated at Whitestone Landing and each station featured charming Victorian architecture. In the railroad’s early years, College Point was a summer destination valued for its beer gardens and waterfront resorts. The area around the station served as a downtown for the village of College Point. In 1930, American Legion Post 853, an organization of war veterans residing in College Point, submitted names of local servicemen killed in the First World War. The stone monument contains 20 names on its bronze plaque. Initially, the monument also included two captured cannons and cannonballs and a flagpole. With the Prohibition, most beer gardens and hotels in College Point shuttered and ridership on the Whitestone Branch declined as well. The LIRR proposed leasing the railway to the city for use as a subway line. Failing to gain the city’s support, the LIRR commenced proceedings to abandon the line. On February 16, 1932, the last train departed from College Point. The once-bustling blocks around Mall Eighteen fell silent and the former train station became a warehouse. The enduring presence of the College Point War Memorial serves as testament to the deeply embedded civic culture of a neighborhood that remembers its veterans in a location that was once the center of the community and its connection to the city.