Bear Mountain Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name= Bear Mountain Bridge


caption= View from east bank, looking northwest
official_name=
also_known_as=
carries= 2 lanes of US 6 and US 202; also the Appalachian Trail
crosses= Hudson River
locale= NW of Peekskill, NY
maint= New York State Bridge Authority
id=
design= Suspension bridge
mainspan=
length= 1,641 feet (497 m)
width= 48 feet (15 m)
clearance=
below= 156 feet (47 m)
traffic= 20,000
open= November 27, 1924
closed=
toll= Cars $1.00 (eastbound)
map_cue=
map_

map_text=
map_width=
lat= 41.31989
long= -73.98372

Infobox_nrhp | name =Bear Mountain Bridge and Toll House
nrhp_type =


caption =
location= Stony Point, New York
lat_degrees = 41
lat_minutes = 19
lat_seconds = 12
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 73
long_minutes = 58
long_seconds = 49
long_direction = W
locmapin = New York
area =
built =1923
architect= Baird,Howard C.; Terr & Tench Construction Co.
architecture=
added = November 23, 1982cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = State
mpsub=Hudson Highlands MRA
refnum=82001266The Bear Mountain Bridge is a toll suspension bridge in New York State, carrying U.S. Highways 202 and 6, as well as the Appalachian Trail, across the Hudson River between Rockland and Orange Counties to the west and Westchester and Putnam Counties to the east. The span allows connections to the Palisades Interstate Parkway and U.S. Highway 9W on the west bank of the Hudson to New York State Route 9D on the east side. The Bear Mountain Bridge and Toll House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

When it opened on November 27, 1924, it was the first highway bridge to cross the Hudson River south of Albany, New York and the largest suspension bridge in the world; it was also the first suspension bridge to have a concrete deck. The construction methods pioneered in building it would make possible several much larger projects to follow, including the George Washington Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge. It was built by the private Bear Mountain Hudson River Bridge Company (created by an act of New York State) under control of the family of E. H. Harriman following the construction of Bear Mountain State Park in 1910. Ownership was transferred to the New York State Bridge Authority in 1940. In 1982 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

As of 2008, the automobile toll is $1.00, collected from eastbound travelers only.

uspension cable maintenance

All suspension bridge cables are routinely inspected for corrosion and deterioration. The cables are unwrapped and wedges are used to separate the individual stands. Inspectors will look for signs of moisture and corrosion throughout the cable. For over 100 years, a lead-based material was used to seal the strands to prevent moisture intrusion. The lead-based material was prone to drying out and cracking in a few years. In 2000, the New York State Bridge Authority engineers began looking into alternative materials for protecting the cables. Working with the chemical company Grignard, they experimented with several materials on a small section of the cable. After a year the test areas were reexamined and one material, Grikote Z, was found to be superior. New York State Bridge Authority chief engineer William Moreau was enthusiastic about the result, saying “We felt we had found something that would not dry and crack and would stay pliable and provide an effective barrier.” The bridge's cables were rewrapped using Grikote Z. In 2008, sections of the cables were unwrapped for inspection and found to be free of additional moisture or corrosion. Moreau is hopeful that the material will lengthen the life of the cables, and lower the need for inspection and maintenance. [cite web|url=http://www.bridgeweb.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1482/Sticky_solution.html|title=Sticky solution|date=May 25, 2008|publisher=Bridge Design & Engineering|accessdate=2008-08-13]

References

External links

* [http://www.nysba.state.ny.us/bridgepages/BMB/BMBpage/bmb_page.htm New York State Bridge Authority site]
* [http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/bear-mountain/ Bear Mountain Bridge at nycroads.com]
* [http://www.bridgemeister.com/bridge.php?bid=141 Bear Mountain Bridge at bridgemeister.com]
*

Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = Hudson River
bridge = Bear Mountain Bridge
bridge signs =
upstream = Newburgh-Beacon Ferry
upstream signs =
downstream = Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry
downstream signs = LongestBridge
type = suspension
start = 1924
end = 1926
previous = Williamsburg Bridge
current = Bear Mountain Bridge
next = Benjamin Franklin Bridge