The Livingston Avenue Bridge is a railroad bridge over the Hudson River in New York connecting Albany and Rensselaer . The original structure was built in 1866 by the Hudson River Bridge Company but was replaced in 1901–02. A rotating swing bridge span allows large ships to proceed up the river.
17-664: The New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) has identified the bridge as a critical link in its Empire Corridor passenger rail line, and has initiated a study project for bridge rehabilitation or replacement. The bridge was purchased from CSX in December ;2012 as part of Amtrak's Empire Corridor lease. The lease grants Amtrak ownership and control over the bridge and adjoining 100 miles of track, extending east from Hoffmans, NY to Albany-Rensselaer station; then south to MP 75, just north of Poughkeepsie, NY. A small branch extends east from Albany-Rensselaer station down
34-660: Is currently located on the 1st floor of the DOT Headquarters in Colonie, NY. Its regulations are compiled in title 17 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations . The department comprises 11 regional offices and 68 county transportation maintenance residencies. Tioga County was moved from Region 6 to Region 9 in August 2007, Wayne County was moved from Region 3 to Region 4 in the late 1990s. NYSDOT regions and
51-577: The U.S. state of New York . New York's transportation network includes: NYS DOT has several Traffic Management Centers (TMC) located throughout the 11 regions in New York State. Region 1 is also the home to the NYS DOT STICC (Statewide Transportation Information Coordination Center) which is staffed 24/7. The STICC is responsible for the coordination & logistics of statewide resources during major incidents within New York State and
68-751: The New York Central leased the Boston and Albany. The current bridge was constructed in 1901-2 and was named the Livingston Avenue Bridge. The 1902 bridge was built upon the original 1866 pilings. At the time the original Hudson River Bridge was constructed, Livingston Avenue had been named Lumber Street, as it led to the Albany Lumber District . As of 2012, the NYSDOT was evaluating whether to rehabilitate or replace
85-682: The Post-Road subdivision, where Amtrak's ownership terminates just south of the Interstate 90 Berkshire Spur overpass. The Livingston Avenue Bridge is most frequently used for east-west travel in New York, as well as freight trains of CSX and CP Rail . The bridge hosts an active railroad interlocking tower and Amtrak block operators staff the tower 24 hours a day. They are responsible for directing rail traffic around Amtrak's Rensselaer Terminal and nearby trackage as well as opening and closing
102-528: The bridge owner, CSX, was citing safety concerns. In 2022, the NYSDOT will hold public meetings to discuss a project to rebuild the bridge. The commencement of construction on the US$ 634.8 million, two-track replacement bridge was announced in July 2024. The new lift bridge would consist of 7 spans, be able to handle taller and heavier loads, and allow two trains to cross at the same time. Completion of construction
119-823: The bridge was begun in April 1864. The earlier Green Island Bridge had opened to the north in Troy in 1835, but required the longer route of the Schenectady and Troy Railroad west from Troy. The new bridge, called the Hudson River Bridge, was to connect directly to the New York Central Railroad on the west (Albany) side of the bridge and to the Hudson River Railroad, Troy and Greenbush Railroad, and Boston and Albany Railroad on
136-400: The bridge. Due to the deteriorated condition of the bridge, trains cross one at a time at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h). DOT considers the swing bridge mechanism to be unreliable and the overall bridge design inadequate for current railroad operating standards. The bridge opens for ship traffic about 400 times per year. The Hudson River Bridge Company was incorporated April 9, 1856. Work on
153-596: The counties they serve are: The history of the New York State Department of Transportation and its predecessors spans over two centuries: The first head of the New York State Department of Transportation (effective from 1 September 1967) was the former head of the New York State Department of Public Works John Burch McMorran (1899–1991). The first Executive Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation
170-544: The deck, and so this type of bridge is especially suited for heavy railroad use. The biggest disadvantage to the vertical-lift bridge (in comparison with many other designs) is the height restriction for vessels passing under it, due to the deck remaining suspended above the passageway. Most vertical-lift bridges use towers, each equipped with counterweights. An example of this kind was built in Portland, Oregon, United States in 1912. Another design uses balance beams to lift
187-441: The deck. The vertical lift offers several benefits over other movable bridges such as the bascule and swing-span bridges . Generally speaking, they cost less to build for longer moveable spans. The counterweights in a vertical lift are only required to be equal to the weight of the deck, whereas bascule bridge counterweights must weigh several times as much as the span being lifted. As a result, heavier materials can be used in
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#1732779534614204-543: The east (Rensselaer) side. The turntable bridge was 4800 feet (1500 m) long, with a clearance of 30 feet (9 m) from high water when closed. The first engine, the Augustus Schell , passed over the bridge on February 18, 1866. Passenger trains started using it on February 22. After the Maiden Lane Bridge was constructed a bit further south, the Hudson River Bridge was used mostly for freight trains and
221-434: The few passenger trains that passed by Albany but did not need to stop there. The Maiden Lane Bridge was often referred to as the "South Bridge" and the Hudson River Bridge as the "North Bridge". In the winter of 1866, once travel patterns were set, Cornelius Vanderbilt , owner of the Hudson River Railroad, suddenly refused to allow any transfers from the New York Central. According to the documentary The Men Who Built America
238-470: The motivation for this closure was retaliation against the owners of New York Central for negotiating a new contract in bad faith. The New York Central board gave in, and in 1867 Vanderbilt acquired the company, and in 1869 merged it with the Hudson River Railroad to form the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad . This gave the New York Central a majority of ownership in the company. In 1900,
255-445: The structure. The cost to replace the bridge was estimated at $ 50 million in 1998. Decisions about rehabilitation included consideration of upgrading the bridge to accommodate high-speed rail traffic. Funding for construction had not yet been allocated. One matter of contention was whether the project will restore the closed public walkway over the bridge. Doing so would greatly improve pedestrian access between Albany and Rensselaer, but
272-403: Was Edward Burton Hughes , who had formerly been Deputy Superintendent of the New York State Department of Public Works , a role he had worked in continuously since 1952. Both appointments were engaged by Governor Nelson Rockefeller . Lift bridge A vertical-lift bridge or just lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with
289-494: Was targeted for the summer of 2028. [REDACTED] Media related to Livingston Avenue Bridge at Wikimedia Commons New York State Department of Transportation The New York State Department of Transportation ( NYSDOT ) is the department of the New York state government responsible for the development and operation of highways , railroads , mass transit systems, ports , waterways and aviation facilities in
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