City Island Bridge
Encyclopedia
The City Island Bridge is a bridge
in the New York City
borough
of the Bronx
, connecting City Island and Rodman's Neck
on the mainland. It is of stone
and steel
construction, and spans 950 ft (290 m). Construction was begun in 1899 and completed in 1901, at a cost of $200,000. It consists of five fixed spans and a central swing
section which was converted to fixed spans in 1963.
plans to demolish the bridge, due to its deteriorated condition, and replace it with a cable-stayed bridge
. The current design calls for a 150 ft (46 m) high tower, 13 ft (4 m) wide at the top, with a base of 26 ft (8 m). Vertical clearance above high water would be 12 ft. The new bridge would be located in the same footprint as the existing bridge, although it would be 17 ft (5.2 m) wider to accommodate three standard-width traffic lanes, a bicycle lane and a pedestrian walkway. The original schedule was for the project to begin in 2007 with completion in 2010, but the project is now scheduled to start in 2011. As of 2005 the estimated cost of the project was $50 million. As of 2009 the estimate increased to $120 million due to redesigns and the addition of related projects.
Some residents oppose the design of the proposed bridge and feel that its tower would be out of character with the low-rise
homes on City Island.
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, connecting City Island and Rodman's Neck
Rodman's Neck
Rodman's Neck refers to a peninsula of land in the Bronx, New York jutting out into Long Island Sound.The southern third of the 'neck' is used as a firing range by the New York Police Department; the remaining wooded section is part of Pelham Bay Park...
on the mainland. It is of stone
Dimension stone
Dimension stone is natural stone or rock that has been selected and fabricated to specific sizes or shapes. Color, texture and pattern, and surface finish of the stone are also normal requirements...
and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
construction, and spans 950 ft (290 m). Construction was begun in 1899 and completed in 1901, at a cost of $200,000. It consists of five fixed spans and a central swing
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
section which was converted to fixed spans in 1963.
Planned replacement bridge
The cityGovernment of New York City
The government of New York City is organized under the City Charter and provides for a "strong" mayor-council system. The government of New York is more centralized than that of most other U.S...
plans to demolish the bridge, due to its deteriorated condition, and replace it with a cable-stayed bridge
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
. The current design calls for a 150 ft (46 m) high tower, 13 ft (4 m) wide at the top, with a base of 26 ft (8 m). Vertical clearance above high water would be 12 ft. The new bridge would be located in the same footprint as the existing bridge, although it would be 17 ft (5.2 m) wider to accommodate three standard-width traffic lanes, a bicycle lane and a pedestrian walkway. The original schedule was for the project to begin in 2007 with completion in 2010, but the project is now scheduled to start in 2011. As of 2005 the estimated cost of the project was $50 million. As of 2009 the estimate increased to $120 million due to redesigns and the addition of related projects.
Some residents oppose the design of the proposed bridge and feel that its tower would be out of character with the low-rise
Low-rise
A low-rise is a building that is only a few stories tall.There is no universally accepted height requirement for a building to be considered a low-rise...
homes on City Island.