Mianus River Railroad Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Mianus River Railroad Bridge, also known as the Cos Cob Bridge, is a bascule bridge
built in 1904 over the Mianus River
, in Greenwich, Connecticut
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1987. It is operated by the Metro-North Railroad
, successor to Conrail, Penn Central, and the New Haven Railroad, which erected it, and is owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
It is a rolling lift type moveable bridge
.
It was prefabricated by the American Bridge Company
, to replace a previous bridge on the site which was unsafe.
The nearby Cos Cob Railroad Station is also NRHP-listed.
It is one of eight moveable bridges on the Amtrak route through Connecticut surveyed in one multiple property study in 1986. The eight bridges from west to east are: this Mianus River Railroad Bridge, at Cos Cob, built in 1904; Norwalk River Railroad Bridge
at South Norwalk, 1896; Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge
at Westport, 1905; Pequonnock River Railroad Bridge
at Bridgeport, 1902; Housatonic River Railroad Bridge, at Devon, 1905; Connecticut River Railroad Bridge, Old Saybrook-Old Lyme, 1907; Niantic River Bridge
, East Lyme-Waterford, 1907; and Thames River Bridge (Amtrak)
, Groton, built in 1919. The Pequonnock River bridge -- also on Metro-North's New Haven Line, as are the Norwalk, Westport, and Devon bridges -- has since been replaced.
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
built in 1904 over the Mianus River
Mianus River
The Mianus River is a river in Westchester County, New York and Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the United States. It begins in the town of North Castle, New York in a series of ponds at about altitude...
, in Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1987. It is operated by the Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
, successor to Conrail, Penn Central, and the New Haven Railroad, which erected it, and is owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
It is a rolling lift type moveable bridge
Moveable bridge
A moveable bridge is a bridge that moves to allow passage for boats or barges. An advantage of making bridges movable include lower price, due to the absence of high piers and long approaches. The principal disadvantage is that the traffic on the bridge must be halted when it is opened for passages...
.
It was prefabricated by the American Bridge Company
American Bridge Company
The American Bridge Company is a privately held civil engineering firm specializing in the construction and renovation of bridges and other large civil engineering projects, founded in 1900, and headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh.-Products and industry positioning:The...
, to replace a previous bridge on the site which was unsafe.
The nearby Cos Cob Railroad Station is also NRHP-listed.
It is one of eight moveable bridges on the Amtrak route through Connecticut surveyed in one multiple property study in 1986. The eight bridges from west to east are: this Mianus River Railroad Bridge, at Cos Cob, built in 1904; Norwalk River Railroad Bridge
Norwalk River Railroad Bridge
The Norwalk River Railroad Bridge — the Amtrak and Metro-North Railroad right-of-way over the Norwalk River was built in 1896, when the route was widened to four tracks...
at South Norwalk, 1896; Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge
Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge
The Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge, also known as Saugatuck River Bridge, is a railroad bridge carrying trackage of Metro-North railroad's New Haven Line over the Saugatuck River in Westport, Connecticut...
at Westport, 1905; Pequonnock River Railroad Bridge
Pequonnock River Railroad Bridge
The Pequonnock River Railroad Bridge is a railroad drawbridge over the Pequonnock River in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Owned by the State of Connecticut and maintained and operated by Metro-North Railroad, it is also referred to as Pequonnock River Bridge, PECK Bridge, and Undergrade Bridge 55.90...
at Bridgeport, 1902; Housatonic River Railroad Bridge, at Devon, 1905; Connecticut River Railroad Bridge, Old Saybrook-Old Lyme, 1907; Niantic River Bridge
Niantic River Bridge
Niantic River Bridge, also known as Amtrak Bascule Bridge No. 116.74, is a railroad bridge carrying Amtrak's Northeast Corridor line across the Niantic River between East Lyme, Connecticut and Waterford, Connecticut...
, East Lyme-Waterford, 1907; and Thames River Bridge (Amtrak)
Thames River Bridge (Amtrak)
Amtrak's Thames River Bridge spans from New London to Groton, Connecticut, USA, crossing Connecticut's Thames River.The bridge was originally constructed in 1919 by the American Bridge Company for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad replacing a span dating from 1889...
, Groton, built in 1919. The Pequonnock River bridge -- also on Metro-North's New Haven Line, as are the Norwalk, Westport, and Devon bridges -- has since been replaced.