List of bridges and tunnels in New York City

New York City is home to many bridges and tunnels. Several agencies manage this network of crossings. The New York City Department of Transportation owns and operates almost 800.[1] The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New York State Department of Transportation and Amtrak have many others.

The Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge on the East River in 1981

Many of the city's major bridges and tunnels have broken or set records. Opened in 1927, the Holland Tunnel was the world's first mechanically ventilated underwater vehicular tunnel. The Brooklyn Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, George Washington Bridge, and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge were the world's longest suspension bridges when opened in 1883,[2] 1903,[3] 1931,[4] and 1964[5] respectively. There are 789 bridges and tunnels in New York.

Bridges

New York City's crossings date back to 1693, when its first bridge, known as the King's Bridge, was constructed over Spuyten Duyvil Creek between Manhattan and the Bronx, located in the present-day Kingsbridge neighborhood. The bridge, composed of stone abutments and a timber deck, was demolished in 1917. The oldest crossing still standing is High Bridge, built 1848 to carry the Croton Aqueduct from Manhattan to the Bronx over the Harlem River.[6] This bridge was built to carry water to the city as part of the Croton Aqueduct system.

Ten bridges and one tunnel serving the city have been awarded some level of landmark status. The Holland Tunnel was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993 in recognition of its pioneering role as the first mechanically ventilated vehicular underwater tunnel, operating since 1927. The George Washington, High, Hell Gate, Queensboro, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Macombs Dam, Carroll Street, University Heights, and Washington Bridges have all received landmark status, as well.[6]

New York features bridges of many lengths and types, carrying vehicular, bicycle, pedestrian, and subway traffic. The George Washington Bridge, spanning the Hudson River between New York City and Fort Lee, New Jersey, is the world's busiest bridge in terms of vehicular traffic.[7][8] The George Washington, Verrazzano-Narrows, and Brooklyn Bridges are noted for their architecture, while others are more well known for their functional importance, such as the Williamsburg Bridge with 8 vehicular lanes, 2 subway tracks, a bike lane, and pedestrian walkways.

Bridges by body of water

East River

South Street Seaport, with the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Williamsburg Bridge visible in the background
J train on the Williamsburg Bridge

From south to north:

NameOpening yearLengthCarriesComments
feetmeters
Brooklyn Bridge18835,9881,8255 lanes of roadway (2 Manhattan-bound, 3 Brooklyn-bound)Oldest suspension bridge in NYC. Also oldest suspension/cable-stayed hybrid bridge.
Manhattan Bridge19096,8542,0897 lanes of roadway and trainsDouble-decker bridge with 5 westbound lanes and 2 eastbound lanes. 3 of the westbound lanes and the subway are below the other 4 lanes.
Williamsburg Bridge19037,308.02,227.488 lanes of roadway (4 in each direction) and ​ trains
Queensboro Bridge19093,7241,1359 lanes of NY 25 (Queens Boulevard)Officially known as the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge. Also known as 59th Street Bridge. Reversible 4 lanes on the upper deck, and 2 westbound/3 eastbound lanes on the lower deck.
Roosevelt Island Bridge19552,877.0876.912 lanes of roadway (1 in each direction)East channel only
Triborough Bridge (Suspension Bridge)19362,7908508 lanes of I-278 (4 in each direction)Officially known as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
Hell Gate Bridge19161,0203103 rail tracks (2 of Northeast Corridor, 1 of New York Connecting Railroad)
Rikers Island Bridge19664,200.01,280.162 lanes of roadwayOnly connects Rikers Island to Queens
Bronx–Whitestone Bridge19393,770.01,149.106 lanes of I-678 (Whitestone Expressway)
Throgs Neck Bridge19612,910.0886.976 lanes of I-295 (Throgs Neck Expressway)

Harlem River

Wards Island Bridge in "open" position

From south to north, east to west:

NameOpening yearLengthCarriesComments
feetmeters
Wards Island Bridge1951937285.6Pedestrians and bicycles only
Triborough Bridge (Vertical-Lift Bridge)19367502302 lanes of exit ramp from F.D.R. DriveOfficially known as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
Willis Avenue Bridge19013,2129794 lanes of roadwayNorthbound traffic only
Third Avenue Bridge18982,800.0853.445 lanes of roadwaySouthbound traffic only
Park Avenue Bridge19563301004 tracks of Metro-North
Madison Avenue Bridge19101,8935774 lanes of roadway
145th Street Bridge19051,6044894 lanes of roadway
Macombs Dam Bridge18952,5397744 lanes of roadway
High Bridge18482,000600Pedestrian walkway and bicycle lanesOldest surviving bridge in New York City
Alexander Hamilton Bridge19632,3757248 lanes of I-95 and US 1
Washington Bridge18882,375723.96 lanes of roadway
University Heights Bridge1908269822 lanes of roadway
Broadway Bridge1962558.0170.084 lanes of Broadway/ US 9 and the trainAlso known as Harlem Ship Canal Bridge
Henry Hudson Bridge19362,2086736 lanes of NY 9A / Henry Hudson ParkwayDouble-decked bridge
Spuyten Duyvil Bridge18996101861 track of Empire CorridorSwing bridge

Hudson River

George Washington Bridge
NameOpening yearLengthCarriesComments
feetmeters
George Washington Bridge19314,760.01,450.8514 lanes of I-95 / US 1 / US 9 / US 46Double-deck, 8 lanes on upper level, 6 lanes on lower level. 7 lanes in each direction.

New York Bay

Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
NameOpening yearLengthCarriesComments
feetmeters
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge196413,7014,17613 lanes of I-278Double-deck, 7 lanes on upper level; 3 in each direction and 1 reversible HOV 3+ lane. 6 lanes on lower level; three in each direction.

Newtown Creek

Borden Avenue, Long Island City
NameOpening yearLengthCarriesComments
feetmeters
Kosciuszko Bridge2017, 20196,0201,8356 lanes of I-278Eastbound span opened in April 2017, and westbound span opened in August 2019. It replaces the original bridge
Pulaski Bridge19542,8208606 lanes of McGuinness BoulevardDrawbridge
Greenpoint Avenue Bridge1987[9]180554 lanes of Greenpoint Avenuea.k.a. J. J. Byrne Memorial Bridge
Drawbridge
Grand Street Bridge1903[9]22769.21 lane of Grand AvenueSwing bridge; one-lane bridge
Metropolitan Avenue Bridge1933[9]11133.84 lanes of Grand Street and Metropolitan AvenueDrawbridge; Crosses English Kills, a tributary of Newtown Creek[9]

Other

The Bronx

NameOpening yearLengthCarriesComments
Bronx Kill
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge19361,610 feet (490 m)8 lanes of I-278Formerly known as the Triborough Bridge
Hutchinson River (heading downriver)
Eastchester Bridge19260.4 miles4 lanes of Boston Road ( US 1)
I-95 bridge19615,280 feet6 lanes of I-95
Hutchinson River Parkway Bridge1941673 feet (205 m)6 lanes of Hutchinson River ParkwayDrawbridge
Pelham Bay Bridge190881 feet (25 m)Northeast Corridor (Amtrak)Also called Amtrak Pelham Bay Bridge
Pelham Bridge1908892 feet (272 m)4 lanes of Shore RoadDrawbridge
Westchester Creek
Unionport Bridge1953526 feet (160.3 m)7 lanes of I-278 (Bruckner Boulevard) / I-95
Bronx River
Eastern Boulevard Bridge1953634 feet (193.2 m) I-278Drawbridge
Eastchester Bay
City Island Bridge1901950 feet (290 m)3 lanes of City Island Avenue

Brooklyn

Ninth Street Bridge, spanning Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn
NameOpening yearLengthCarriesComments
Gowanus Canal
Union Street Bridge1905[10]600 feet2 lanes of Union StreetDrawbridge
Carroll Street Bridge1889[10]300 feet2 lanes of Carroll StreetNew York City Designated Landmark and one of four retractable bridges in the country[11]
Third Street Bridge1905[10]350 feetThird Street
Ninth Street Bridge1999[10]700 feetNinth StreetVertical Lift Bridge
Culver Viaduct1933[12]0.6 miles trainspasses over the Ninth Street Bridge, carrying 4 tracks, 2 express and 2 local
Hamilton Avenue Bridge1942[10]0.7 milesHamilton Avenuepasses under the Gowanus Expressway and carries four lanes of traffic in each direction
Gowanus Expressway1941[13]9 lanes of I-278 (Gowanus Expressway)
Mill Basin
Mill Basin Bridge20176 lanes of Belt ParkwayThe bridge has a combined bicycle and pedestrian pathway on the eastbound side of the bridge which carries the Jamaica Bay Greenway
Mill Basin Drawbridge

(demolished)

1940825 ft6 lanes of Belt ParkwayTwin-leaf bascule bridge; demolished in 2018 and replaced by Mill Basin Bridge
Rockaway Inlet (Brooklyn and Queens)
Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge19371226 m4 lanes of Flatbush Avenuealso has a narrow combined bicycle and pedestrian path on the southbound side of the bridge

Queens

NameOpening yearLengthCarriesComments
Dutch Kills
Borden Avenue Bridge1908[9]100 feet2 lanes of Borden AvenueOne of four retractable bridges in the country[11]
Hunters Point Avenue Bridge1910[9]500 feetHunters Point Avenue
Cabin M Bridge1 track of the Montauk CutoffThere is another abandoned track on the bridge
DB Cabin Bridge1 track of the Montauk BranchThe bridge was originally built to carry three tracks
Jamaica Bay
Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge19700.7 miles6 lanes Cross Bay Boulevard
Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial Bridge19710.7 miles6 lanes of Cross Bay Boulevard
North Channel Swing Bridge trainNot actually a movable bridge.
Howard Beach to Broad Channel.
Beach Channel Drawbridge trainsBroad Channel to The Rockaways
102nd Street BridgeConnecting Hamilton Beach at Russell Street with Howard Beach, also known as "Lenihan's Bridge".
Hawtree Creek Bridge163rd Avenue and 99th Street in Howard Beach across to Hamilton Beach at Rau Court and Davenport Court
Rockaway Inlet (Brooklyn and Queens)
Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge19371226 m4 lanes of Flatbush Avenue

Staten Island

NameOpening yearLengthCarriesComments
Arthur Kill
Goethals Bridge2018[14][15]2225.04 m6 lanes of I-278Replaced the old Goethals Bridge (completed 1928); the two new spans are a cable-stayed design
Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge1959170.08 mCSX and M&E rail lines
Outerbridge Crossing19283093 m4 lanes of Route 440; NY 440
Kill Van Kull
Bayonne Bridge19311761.74 m4 lanes of NY 440; Route 440raised and rebuilt in 2019

Tunnels

The Queens–Midtown Tunnel

Each of the tunnels that run underneath the East and Hudson Rivers were marvels of engineering when first constructed. The Holland Tunnel is the oldest of the vehicular tunnels, opening to great fanfare in 1927 as the first mechanically ventilated underwater tunnel. The Queens Midtown Tunnel was opened in 1940 to relieve the congestion on the city's bridges. Each of its tubes were designed 1.5 feet (0.46 m) wider than the Holland Tunnel in order to accommodate the wider cars of the period. When the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel opened in 1950, it was the longest continuous underwater vehicular tunnel in North America, a title it still holds.[16] The Lincoln Tunnel has three tubes linking midtown Manhattan to New Jersey, a configuration that provides the flexibility to provide four lanes in one direction during rush hours, or three lanes in both direction.

All four underwater road tunnels were built by Ole Singstad: the Holland Tunnel's original chief engineer Clifford Milburn Holland died, as did his successor, Milton H. Freeman, after which Singstad became chief engineer, finishing the Holland Tunnel and then building the remaining tunnels.

East River

PATH train emerging from the Hudson tubes, into the Exchange Place station
Traveling through the Holland Tunnel, from Manhattan to Jersey City, New Jersey

From south to north:

NameOpening yearLengthCarriesComments
Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel19502,779 m (9,117 ft)4 lanes of I-478Officially known as the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel
Joralemon Street Tunnel19082,709 m (8,888 ft) trains
Montague Street Tunnel19202,136 m (7,009 ft) trains
Clark Street Tunnel19191,800 m (5,900 ft) trains
Cranberry Street Tunnel1933 trains
Rutgers Street Tunnel1936 ​ trains
14th Street Tunnel1924 train
East River Tunnels19101,204 m (3,949 ft)part of the New York Tunnel Extension
Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road (Northeast Corridor)
Queens–Midtown Tunnel19401,955 m (6,414 ft)4 lanes of I-495 (Long Island Expressway)
Steinway Tunnel1915 ​ trains
53rd Street Tunnel1933 trains
60th Street Tunnel1920 trains
63rd Street Tunnel1989960 m (3,140 ft)Upper level: train
Lower level: LIRR to Grand Central Madison
Ravenswood Tunnel1892Electricity, natural gas, steam, and number 6 fuel oilFirst tunnel under the East River and Roosevelt Island, between Big Allis power plant in Astoria and Upper East Side[17] [18]

Harlem River

From south to north:

NameOpening yearLengthCarriesComments
Lexington Avenue Tunnel1918391 m (1,283 ft) trains
149th Street Tunnel1905195 m (641 ft) train
Concourse Tunnel1933 trains

Hudson River

From south to north:

NameOpening yearLengthCarriesComments
Downtown Hudson Tubes19091,720 m (5,650 ft)Montgomery-Cortlandt Tunnels
Port Authority Trans-Hudson
Holland Tunnel1927south tube: 2,551 m (8,371 ft)
north tube: 2,608 m (8,558 ft)
4 lanes of I-78 (Canal Street); Route 139 (NJ side)
Uptown Hudson Tubes19081,700 m (5,500 ft)Hoboken-Morton Tunnels
Port Authority Trans-Hudson
North River Tunnels19101,900 m (6,100 ft)part of New York Tunnel Extension
Amtrak and New Jersey Transit (Northeast Corridor)
Lincoln Tunnelnorth tube: 1945
center tube: 1937
south tube: 1957
south tube: 2,440 m (8,006 ft)
center tube: 2,504 m (8,216 ft)
north tube: 2,281 m (7,482 ft)
6 lanes of NY 495 (NY side); Route 495 (NJ side)

Newtown Creek

NameOpening yearCarriesComments
Greenpoint Tube1933 train

Bridges and tunnels spanning land only

Bridges and tunnels by use

The relative average number of inbound vehicles between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. to Midtown and Lower Manhattan is:

  1. Queensboro Bridge: 31,000
  2. Lincoln Tunnel: 25,944
  3. Brooklyn Bridge: 22,241
  4. Williamsburg Bridge: 18,339
  5. Queens-Midtown Tunnel: 17,968
  6. Holland Tunnel: 16,257
  7. Brooklyn Battery Tunnel: 14,496
  8. Manhattan Bridge: 13,818

See also

References

External links