Rikers Island Bridge (officially named Francis R. Buono Memorial Bridge) is a

girder bridge A girder bridge is a bridge that uses girders as the means of supporting its deck. The two most common types of modern steel girder bridges are plate and box. The term "girder" is often used interchangeably with "beam" in reference to bridge d ...

that connects

Rikers Island Rikers Island is a prison island in the East River in the Bronx, New York (state), New York, United States, that contains New York City's largest jail. Named after Abraham Rycken, who took possession of the island in 1664, the island was orig ...

in the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

with the borough of

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. The bridge begins in the Ditmars Steinway area in

Astoria, Queens Astoria is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Queens. Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to four other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City, Queens, Long Island C ...

, near the intersection of Hazen Street and 19th Avenue, and continues to the south side of Rikers Island.

Description

The Rikers Island Bridge is the sole route to the island for vehicular traffic. The bridge is a fixed low-level span built with concrete and steel. At its center, the bridge has a 52-foot rise allowing clearance for vessels passing beneath the structure. The

MTA Bus MTA Regional Bus Operations (RBO) is the bus operations division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City. The MTA operates local, limited-stop, express, and Select Bus Service ( bus rapid transit) services across the city o ...

route operates across the Rikers Island Bridge and provides service to the Rikers Island Visitor Center. The bridge crosses the Rikers Island Channel of the

East River The East River is a saltwater Estuary, tidal estuary or strait in New York City. The waterway, which is not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island, ...

and

Bowery Bay Bowery Bay is a bay off the East River in New York City. It is located near the Ditmars Steinway area in the neighborhood of Astoria in the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered on the west by the Bowery Bay Water Pollution Control ...

. It is located near

LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport ( ) – colloquially known as LaGuardia or simply LGA – is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, situated on the North Shore (Long Island), northwestern shore of Long Island, bord ...

and crosses over the approach light pier to Runway 13.

History

Before the bridge opened, the only access to Rikers Island was by a ferry, which cost New York City $250,000 per year to operate. The bridge was proposed in order to provide easier access by fire, police, ambulances, and sanitation vehicles, and to reduce the commute times for employees. The New York City Planning Board approved the building of the bridge in 1962. Rikers Island Bridge opened on November 22, 1966.Devlin, John C. (November 23, 1966).
Bridge of Hope' to Rikers Island Is Dedicated Here: Mayor Opens $9-Million Bridge To an Expanding Rikers Island
. ''The New York Times''. p. 41. New York City spent $10million to build the bridge. The city said it saved $410million in construction costs for structures on the island during the five years after the bridge opened, and that the bridge would also save $5,000 in operating expenses per year. The bridge is supported by 260 concrete piles, each up to long. On May 25, 1978, the bridge was co-named for the late Supervising Warden Francis R. Buono, who directed its construction. In August 1990, during a labor conflict with then New York City mayor

David Dinkins David Norman Dinkins (July 10, 1927 – November 23, 2020) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. Dinkins was among the more than 20,000 Montford Point Marine Associa ...

, guards responded to a breakdown in negotiations by barricading access to the bridge.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Bridges completed in 1966 Road bridges in New York City Bridges in Queens, New York Bridges in the Bronx Pedestrian bridges in New York City Concrete bridges in the United States Girder bridges in the United States Rikers Island