The Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge is a bobtail
swing truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements, typically straight, may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...
in the northeastern suburbs of
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...
, in the United States. It spans the outlet of
Irondequoit Bay at
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...
, carrying vehicular traffic between Culver Road in
Irondequoit and
Lake Road in
Webster. The bridge is closed to vehicular traffic (bridge in open position) during the boating season from April to November, allowing marine traffic to travel between Lake Ontario and Irondequoit Bay. During the boating season, the bridge is a popular spot for visitors to watch the boat traffic, walk out onto the nearby jetties, and fish.
The swing bridge replaced a two-lane fixed timber bridge that existed from 1929 to 1985. The old bridge's removal was part of an
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wor ...
project to open up the Irondequoit Bay to boating.
According to
Monroe County, the concrete and steel bridge is with two spans and a roadway; it was completed in 1998 for $4.8 million (including renovation of nearby Irondequoit Bay Marine Park). The bridge has a main span of on its eastern end with a counter-weighted span on its western end. To open or close the bridge requires about two hours of setup time, 30 minutes turning time and 2 hours of set-down time. The bridge weighs approximately 425 tons.
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On the west side of the bridge there is a small public beach area, restrooms, and a jetty which protrudes out into the lake and terminates with a small lighthouse. A shorter jetty on the east side provides views of the lake and channel to the Webster visitors. Seabreeze Amusement Park is about southwest and visible from the overlooks.
The bridge may be used as an alternate route for the Seaway Trail when the bridge is open to traffic during the winter months.
Each year, the bridge is swung to the in-storage position (open to boaters) on April 1, after 9:00 am, and to the in-use position (open to vehicular traffic) on November 1. If April 1 happens to fall on a weekend day, then the bridge will be placed into storage on the Monday following the weekend. If November 1 happens to fall on a weekend day then the bridge will be put in-use on the Monday after the weekend.
A feasibility study has been conducted to explore options to provide year-round access across the Bay Outlet. A series of public meetings was held, including one on January 11, 2018, at Irondequoit Town Hall where highlights and findings from the draft report were shared. http://www.irondequoit.org/community/irondequoit-bay-outlet-bridge-feasibility-study Per https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2018/01/12/irondequoit-bay-outlet-bridge-options/1026565001/ the highest scoring options involved changing the existing bridge.
]
References
External links
Rochester Wiki Bay Outlet Page
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Bridges completed in 1998
Swing bridges in the United States
Road bridges in New York (state)
Bridges in Monroe County, New York
Steel bridges in the United States
Truss bridges in the United States