The Pelham Bridge is a

bascule bridge A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...

located in 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 ...

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 ...

, just downstream of the railroad Pelham Bay Bridge. It carries Shore Road and a walkway along the downstream side, over the

Hutchinson River The Hutchinson River is a freshwater stream located in the New York City borough of the Bronx and Southern Westchester County, New York, United States. It forms on the New Rochelle– Scarsdale municipal line off Brookline Road in the latter c ...

. The bridge is operated and maintained by the

New York City Department of Transportation The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) is the agency of the government of New York City responsible for the management of much of New York City's transportation infrastructure. Ydanis Rodriguez is the Commissioner of the Departm ...

. Crossing the mouth of the river, it is variously called Pelham Bay Bridge and Pelham Bridge. The BL45 to/from Eastchester in

Westchester County Westchester County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The county is the seventh most populous cou ...

as well as the Bx29, which operates between City Island and

Co-op City Co-op City (short for Cooperative City) is a cooperative housing development located in the northeast section of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It is bounded by Interstate 95 to the southwest, west, and north and the Hutchinson River ...

, operates over this bridge. The Pelham Bridge opens for maritime traffic frequently; in 2014, it opened 724 times. The

watercraft A watercraft or waterborne vessel is any vehicle designed for travel across or through water bodies, such as a boat, ship, hovercraft, submersible or submarine. Types Historically, watercraft have been divided into two main categories. *Raf ...

traffic under that bridge is greater than for any other

drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable b ...

in the city.

History

The first bridge at the site, a stone bridge built in 1815, was destroyed in a storm on April 12, 1816. Another bridge was not built at the site for eighteen years. The current bridge replaced an older one that required constant, expensive maintenance. The new bridge was opened to traffic on October 15, 1908 before it was fully completed, in order to save costs on maintaining the old bridge. During construction, the

water main A water distribution system is a part of water supply network with components that carry potable water from a centralized treatment plant or wells to consumers to satisfy residential, commercial, industrial and fire fighting requirements. Defi ...

for City Island and

Pelham Bay Park Pelham Bay Park is a municipal park located in the northeast corner of the New York City borough of the Bronx. It is, at , the largest public park in New York City. The park is more than three times the size of Manhattan's Central Park. The p ...

had to be interrupted, so water was imported from

New Rochelle New Rochelle ( ; in ) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately from Midtown Manhattan. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the 7th-largest city and 2 ...

, costing the city $5,323.93. The bridge was completed on February 17, 1909. at a total cost of $605,274.06. The bridge was reconstructed in 1985. A celebration of the bridge's

centennial A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century. Notable events Notable centennial events at a national or world-level include: * Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

took place on October 28, 2008.

References

External links

New York City Department of Transportation: Pelham Bridge
{{NYC Bridge Bascule bridges in New York (state) Pelham Bridges completed in 1909 Road bridges in New York (state) Pedestrian bridges in New York City Steel bridges in the United States Concrete bridges in the United States Pelham Bay Park