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141-856: The Queensboro Bridge , officially the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge , is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City . Completed in 1909, it connects the Long Island City neighborhood in the borough of Queens with the East Midtown and Upper East Side neighborhoods in Manhattan , passing over Roosevelt Island . Because the western end of the bridge connects to 59th Street in Manhattan, it

282-459: A grand jury investigation into the bridge's safety in 1934. There were also proposals to charge tolls on the bridge in the 1930s, though local groups widely opposed these plans. In 1934, westbound motorists began using the upper southern roadway during weekday mornings, Sundays, and holiday evenings; the upper roadway continued to carry eastbound traffic at all other times. To reduce congestion, traffic agents began controlling traffic at each end of

423-589: A sympathetic strike in June 1905, in solidarity with striking workers at the Pennsylvania Steel Company's Harrisburg factory. The work stoppage lasted a month, during which workers were not allowed to complete steel castings for the bridge. By that August, over 6,000 short tons (5,400 long tons; 5,400 t) of steel castings had been completed, and another 20,000 short tons (18,000 long tons; 18,000 t) of castings were being fabricated. There

564-546: A "Queen of the Queensboro Bridge" beauty pageant in a local newspaper, and a week of carnivals. During late 1909, the Williams Engineering and Contracting Company sued the city for damages relating to the unbuilt elevators on Blackwell's Island, and there was another lawsuit over its safety. There was a ten-cent toll to drive over the bridge, although pedestrians walked across for free. Shortly after

705-399: A $ 2.06 million ramp at the Manhattan end of the bridge. Also during the early 1960s, the city's Department of Public Works requested funding for a feasibility study of additional roadways, and the city's traffic commissioner Henry Barnes studied the feasibility of a computer-controlled traffic monitoring system for the bridge. Cantilever bridge The steel truss cantilever bridge was

846-467: A British name, it stuck. The structural engineers tasked with studying the bridge concluded that it was structurally sound, although the bridge was altered to carry two elevated tracks rather than four. There was still skepticism over the bridge's structural integrity, and the Bridge Department planned to remove some heavy stringers from the upper deck to reduce the bridge's dead load. Paving of

987-545: A bid to construct the bridge's superstructure for $ 5.3 million in September 1903; Lindenthal rejected the bid, suspecting that the company was engaging in collusion. The city requested further bids for the superstructure the next month, but an injunction prevented Lindenthal from awarding a steel contract. The Pennsylvania Steel Company received the steel contract that November, and the Art Commission approved plans for

1128-469: A bill in January 1900 to appoint commissioners for a bridge or tunnel between Manhattan and Queens. The city's Municipal Assembly initially failed to authorize the bridge's construction due to opposition from Tammany Hall politicians. The bridge was approved that November; the bridge was relocated southward so its Manhattan end was near 60th Street. The United States Department of War , which had to certify

1269-484: A bridge between Manhattan and Queens over Roosevelt Island (which then was known as Blackwell's Island). An architect named R. Graves proposed a three-span suspension bridge linking Manhattan to Long Island City . Queens, in the late 1830s. John A. Roebling , who would later design the Brooklyn Bridge, proposed suspension bridges at the site in 1847 and 1856. An attempt to finance a fixed East River crossing

1410-664: A cantilever bridge. The Forth Bridge is a notable example of an early cantilever bridge. This bridge held the record for longest span in the world for twenty-nine years until it was surpassed by the Quebec Bridge . The engineers responsible for the bridge, Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Fowler , demonstrated the structural principles of the suspended span cantilever by sitting in chairs and supporting their colleague, Kaichi Watanabe , in between them, using just their arms and wooden poles. The suspended span, where Watanabe sits,

1551-538: A competing plan. Rainey resubmitted plans for the bridge in early 1890. The state legislature gave Rainey a charter for the Blackwell's Island Bridge in mid-1892. Corbin received an option to buy out Rainey's charter, and a groundbreaking ceremony for the bridge was held at 64th Street in Manhattan on August 19, 1894. The span was planned as a cantilever bridge carrying four LIRR tracks, as well as roadways and footpaths. By that November, two cofferdams were being sunk for

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1692-508: A fixed central truss. In all, it has five steel truss spans, as well as approach viaducts on either side. The total length of the five spans, between the anchorages on the Manhattan and Queens sides, are approximately 3,725 ft (1,135 m), of which 2,166 feet (660 m) are above water. In addition, there is a 1,052-foot-long (321 m) approach viaduct in Manhattan and a 2,588-foot-long (789 m) approach viaduct in Queens, connecting

1833-455: A former alignment of Main Road is located between the creek from Silver Lake and Silvermere Road. In Orient , two former routings of Main Road exist, both in the vicinity of Bight Road. The first, a loop connecting Grandview Drive to NY 25, is located west of Bight Road. The second, a loop providing access to Whalers Road from NY 25, is west of Charles Rose Airport. In the early 1970s,

1974-507: A hinge in the girder. Heinrich Gerber was one of the engineers to obtain a patent for a hinged girder (1866) and is recognized as the first to build one. The Hassfurt Bridge over the Main river in Germany with a central span of 124 feet (38 metres) was completed in 1867 and is recognized as the first modern cantilever bridge. The High Bridge of Kentucky by C. Shaler Smith (1877),

2115-531: A low bid of $ 798,000. Work on the Queens approach began in February 1907. By then, about 45,000 short tons (40,000 long tons; 41,000 t) of steel for the bridge, representing nine-tenths of the steel contract, had been manufactured. Workers erected 512 tons of steel each day. To erect the two spans across the East River's west and east channels, they first built steel towers above each pier, then constructed

2256-542: A lower level with five vehicular lanes and a walkway/bike lane. The western leg of the Queensboro Bridge is flanked on its northern side by the Roosevelt Island Tramway . The Queensboro Bridge is the northernmost of four toll-free vehicular bridges connecting Manhattan Island to Long Island , along with the Williamsburg , Manhattan , and Brooklyn bridges to the south. It lies along the courses of

2397-405: A major engineering breakthrough when first put into practice, as it can span distances of over 1,500 feet (450 m), and can be more easily constructed at difficult crossings by virtue of using little or no falsework . Engineers in the 19th century understood that a bridge that was continuous across multiple supports would distribute the loads among them. This would result in lower stresses in

2538-483: A maximum grade of 3.41 percent. The spans were intended to be at least 118 feet (36 m) above mean high water ; the bridge reaches a maximum height of 135 feet (41 m) or 140 feet (43 m) above high mean water. Until it was surpassed by the Quebec Bridge in 1917, the span between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island was the longest cantilever in North America; it was also the second-longest worldwide, after

2679-407: A pair of trolley tracks. The northern and southern lower-level roadways each had one additional trolley track, for a total of four trolley tracks. The central roadway originally had a wood block pavement. As of 2023, the lower level has five vehicular lanes: two in each direction within the center roadway and one eastbound lane on the southern roadway. The northern lower-level roadway was converted into

2820-535: A parallel roadway to the south of the current roadway between River Road and Forge Road. Although some of this section has been dismantled, a portion still exists as modern Forge Road from the Peconic River Bridge to Kroemer Avenue. In Laurel, New York (Southold township), A quarter mile section was rerouted past the town hamlet of Laurel in a more direct and straight manner. The old section became Franklinville Road which connects to NY 25 at both ends of

2961-449: A permanent pedestrian walk and bicycle path in September 2000. The five spans are supported by six piers; the westernmost and easternmost piers act as anchorages. Each of the piers consists of two columns supported by an elliptical arch measuring 50 feet (15 m) wide. The piers each measure 130 by 40 feet (40 by 12 m) across at their bases (including the arched openings). They range from 100 to 125 feet (30 to 38 m) tall, with

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3102-515: A pin, usually after forcing the union point apart, and when jacks are removed and the bridge decking is added the bridge becomes a truss arch bridge . Such unsupported construction is only possible where appropriate rock is available to support the tension in the upper chord of the span during construction, usually limiting this method to the spanning of narrow canyons. World's longest cantilever bridges (by longest span): New York State Route 25 New York State Route 25 ( NY 25 )

3243-469: A plan for widening 59th Street to serve as the bridge's Manhattan approach, and Queens residents disagreed over plans for the Queens approach. The final plans called for the Queens approach to end at Crescent Street; a new boulevard, Queens Plaza , would connect the approach to Jackson Avenue and Queens Boulevard . All of the piers were finished by May 1904, and city officials inspected the bridge's piers that July. The Pennsylvania Steel Company submitted

3384-427: A realigned NY 25, which also used a previously unnumbered segment of Hillside Avenue between 212th Street and Braddock Avenue. From 1920 to 2005, the section of NY 25 that forms the border between New York City and Nassau County was simultaneously named Jamaica Avenue on the westbound (Queens, New York City) side and Jericho Turnpike on the eastbound (Nassau County) side. Some map makers only showed one of

3525-399: A small lake to the north. A small segment of the road remains intact as Old Middle Country Road from Picaso Way to Woodville Road. Prior to the construction of Picaso Way and the cluster developments it leads to, this section of Old Middle Country Road connected to the existing section at its west end, the stub of which can still be found. Near Riverhead , Middle Country Road once followed

3666-403: A truck route was established between Mattituck and Greenport. NY 25 begins near Second Avenue in Manhattan , at the western end of the double-decked Queensboro Bridge spanning the East River and Roosevelt Island . East of the bridge, NY 25 becomes Queens Boulevard at the intersection with NY 25A , in the Long Island City section of the borough of Queens . Queens Plaza

3807-479: Is Orient Beach State Park . NY 25 was assigned in the mid-1920s along all of what is now NY 25A east of the New York City line and its current alignment from the modern east end of NY 25A to Greenport . At the time, the section of modern NY 25 between the New York City line and Smithtown was state-maintained but unnumbered. It was designated as NY 25A c.  1927 . In

3948-403: Is also called the 59th Street Bridge . The bridge consists of five steel spans measuring 3,725 ft (1,135 m) long; including approaches, its total length is 7,449 ft (2,270 m). The Queensboro Bridge carries New York State Route 25 (NY 25), which terminates at the bridge's western end in Manhattan. The bridge has two levels: an upper level with a pair of two-lane roadways, and

4089-567: Is an east–west state highway in downstate New York in the United States. The route extends along the central parts and North Shore of Long Island for just over 105 miles (169 km) from east midtown Manhattan in New York City to the Cross Sound Ferry terminal at Orient Point on the end of Long Island's North Fork . NY 25 is carried from Manhattan to Queens by way of the double-decked Queensboro Bridge over

4230-682: Is based around this section of the road. In Long Island City, NY 25 runs southeast beneath the elevated tracks of the IRT Flushing Line . At Thompson Avenue, the route turns to run eastward as the multi-lane divided Queens Boulevard, straddling the Flushing Line's elevated structure eastward to 48th Street, at which point the Flushing Line turns northeast onto Roosevelt Avenue and Queens Boulevard becomes 6 lanes in each direction, with main and service roads . In Woodside , NY 25 meets I-278 at exit 39. In Elmhurst ,

4371-505: Is formed by two cantilever arms extending from opposite sides of an obstacle to be crossed, meeting at the center. In a common variant, the suspended span , the cantilever arms do not meet in the center; instead, they support a central truss bridge which rests on the ends of the cantilever arms. The suspended span may be built off-site and lifted into place, or constructed in place using special travelling supports. A common way to construct steel truss and prestressed concrete cantilever spans

Queensboro Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue

4512-424: Is in the center. The wooden poles resist the compression of the lower chord , while the outstretched arms support the tension of the upper chord. The placement of the brick counterweights demonstrates the action of the outer foundations. Cantilever Bridge.—A structure at least one portion of which acts as an anchorage for sustaining another portion which extends beyond the supporting pier. A simple cantilever span

4653-641: Is the border between the Bellerose and Floral Park neighborhoods of Queens to the north and the villages of Bellerose and Floral Park in Nassau County to the south. The westbound lanes are in New York City, whereas the eastbound lanes are in Nassau County. NY 25B and Hillside Avenue merge into NY 25 in Mineola. NY 25 continues in this area as a divided highway and parallels

4794-405: Is to counterbalance each cantilever arm with another cantilever arm projecting the opposite direction, forming a balanced cantilever ; when they attach to a solid foundation, the counterbalancing arms are called anchor arms . Thus, in a bridge built on two foundation piers, there are four cantilever arms: two which span the obstacle, and two anchor arms that extend away from the obstacle. Because of

4935-405: Is used as a westbound high-occupancy vehicle lane during morning rush hours, when all eastbound traffic uses the lower level. The lower level is 86 feet (26 m) wide and is divided into three sections: a northern, central, and southern roadway. The center roadway is 56 feet (17 m) wide and was originally composed of a 36-foot-wide (11 m) general-purpose road in the middle, flanked by

5076-560: The City of Greater New York in 1898, spurring alternate plans for a bridge between Manhattan and Queens. New York Assembly members proposed separate bills in early 1898 to revoke Rainey's franchise for the bridge and to have the city purchase Rainey's franchise. Rainey vowed not to sell his franchise, but the state legislature passed a bill in March 1900 allowing the city to take over Rainey's franchise. Although Rainey himself eventually consented to

5217-533: The East River . NY 25 is unique among New York State Routes on Long Island, as it is the only one to leave the geographical boundaries of Long Island, albeit minimally; it ends at the western terminus of the Queensboro Bridge. It is also one of only two signed New York State routes in Manhattan (the other is NY 9A ). Additionally, NY 25 is the second-longest highway on Long Island after its South Shore counterpart: NY 27 (Sunrise Highway / Montauk Highway). NY 25 runs along several differently-named roads. In

5358-651: The Forth Bridge in Scotland. The upper level is 67 feet (20 m) wide. The upper level originally contained two pedestrian walkways and two elevated railway tracks, which connected a spur of the IRT Second Avenue elevated line in Manhattan to the Queensboro Plaza station in Queens. There were also provisions for two additional tracks between the trusses (taking up the space occupied by

5499-631: The Jackie Robinson Parkway without access. Near Jamaica, the road meets I-678 at exit 9, a partial interchange. Three blocks southeast of I-678, NY 25 turns east and is known as Hillside Avenue, a city street that begins at Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill near the site of the former LIRR station . This section of NY 25 is undivided but has several lanes in the Jamaica- Hollis area. In Queens Village

5640-663: The Long Island Expressway one final time at another interchange. 20 miles (32 km) further eastward, in Greenport , NY 25 intersects with NY 114 at its northern terminus. NY 25 continues on the northeastern end of Long Island for the final ten miles (16 km). NY 25 enters Orient and ends at the Orient Point Ferry Landing . An attraction along NY 25 in Orient

5781-665: The Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road over NY 25 in Laurel and narrow historic streets in Greenport. The two routes were originally distinct highways that did not connect to one another. The truck route along Franklinville Road, Aldrich Lane, and Sound Avenue began as a route between Laurel and Mattituck , which followed Old Sound Avenue at its east end. The other NY 25 Truck began west of Greenport at

Queensboro Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue

5922-618: The New York City Marathon and the Five Boro Bike Tour . Serious proposals for a bridge linking Manhattan to Long Island City were first made as early as 1838, but various 19th-century plans to erect such a bridge, including two proposals by Queens doctor Thomas Rainey, never came to fruition. After the creation of the City of Greater New York in 1898, plans for a city-operated bridge were finalized in 1901. The bridge opened for public use on March 30, 1909, and

6063-490: The New York City Marathon course since 1976 , when the marathon course traversed all five boroughs for the first time. During the marathon, which happens every November, runners cross the Queensboro Bridge westbound toward Manhattan, then pass under the bridge at First Avenue. The bridge is approximately 15 miles (24 km) from the beginning of the course on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge . The deck of

6204-658: The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) wanted to install frontage roads along a divided NY 25 between Nesconset and Lake Grove as part of a proposed upgrade of NY 347 into a freeway . In the 1960s and 1970s, NYSDOT wanted to realign both NY 25 and NY 112 in Coram. The realignment and widening of NY 25 was to take place between NY 112 and Winfield Davis Drive. The interchange between I-495 and CR 58 in Riverhead

6345-547: The Niagara Cantilever Bridge by Charles Conrad Schneider (1883) and the Poughkeepsie Bridge by John Francis O'Rourke and Pomeroy P. Dickinson (1889) were all important early uses of the cantilever design. The Kentucky River Bridge spanned a gorge that was 275 feet (84 metres) deep and took full advantage of the fact that falsework, or temporary support, is not needed for the main span of

6486-460: The North Fork of Long Island. The longest of the two routes roughly parallels NY 25 along Franklinville Road, Aldrich Lane, Sound Avenue, and County Route 48 (CR 48) between Laurel and Greenport , while the other follows the north–south Moore's Lane between NY 25 and the east–west truck route just west of Greenport. Together, they bypass a low railroad bridge that carries

6627-524: The Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan . The three routes continued west for several more blocks along 2nd Avenue and 57th Street to Park Avenue (then NY 22 and NY 100 ), where NY 24, NY 25, and NY 25A all ended. At the time, the segment of modern NY 25 between Skillman Avenue and 212th Street was part of NY 24. The overlaps with both NY 24 and NY 25A into Manhattan were eventually eliminated. In

6768-544: The borough of Queens , it is called Queens Boulevard , Hillside Avenue and finally Braddock Avenue. Braddock Avenue ends immediately upon crossing over the Cross Island Parkway. At that point, NY 25 turns east onto Jericho Turnpike, which runs along the Queens-Nassau border from Braddock Avenue to 257th Street. Continuing east through Nassau and western Suffolk counties, NY 25 retains

6909-452: The 1/4 mile bypass. In Mattituck , an old alignment of Main Road (NY 25) exists as Old Main Road from Bray Avenue to west of Sigsbee Road. Southwest of Southold , Main Road originally followed the length of Lower Road and Ackerly Pond Lane between Lower Road and Main Road. To the northeast of the community, another former segment remains intact as Old Main Road between Budd's Pond and Mill Creek to Hashamomuck Pond. East of Greenport ,

7050-465: The 59th Street Bridge name did not honor the borough of Queens. In December 2010, mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the bridge would be renamed in honor of former mayor Ed Koch; the bridge had been renovated extensively in the 1980s, when he was mayor. The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge name was formalized on March 23, 2011. The renaming was unpopular among Queens residents and business leaders; The Los Angeles Times wrote that Queens residents found

7191-473: The Cinematheque never opened due to a lack of money. A developer proposed the open-air Bridgemarket under the bridge in 1976, which local residents significantly opposed, and Bridgemarket was not approved until 1996. Bridgemarket, covering 98,000 square feet (9,100 m), opened in 1999 at a cost of $ 24 million. The store operated until the end of 2015. In February 2020, it was announced that Trader Joe's

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7332-497: The East River's channels are composed of cantilever arms, which extend outward from the towers on either side of the channel. Each pair of cantilever arms meets at a set of bents above the middle of each channel. The bents allowed the cantilever arms to move horizontally due to temperature changes, and it allowed structural loads to be distributed between the two arms. The bridge uses nickel-steel bars that were intended to be 40 to 50 percent stronger than regular structural-steel bars of

7473-506: The Manhattan Bridge. Low appointed a group of engineering experts that November to review Lindenthal's revised plans. The experts concluded that neither the original proposal nor Lindenthal's revision were sufficient and suggested that the bridge instead be 91 feet (28 m) wide. The approaches retained their original 120-foot width, as did the piers themselves. Henry Hornbostel was directed in early 1903 to prepare drawings of

7614-423: The Manhattan and Queens ends, are about 500 feet (150 m) inland of the shore. Each anchorage was built with spiral staircases and elevators. The anchorage in Manhattan is between First Avenue and York Avenue , while the Queens anchorage is near Vernon Boulevard. The anchorages are topped by small rooms with arched openings. The approaches on both sides of the bridge are composed of stiffened steel frames, but

7755-477: The Manhattan approach is the only one that is ornately decorated. The Queens approach consists of a series of elevated concrete-and-steel ramps, which were never formally decorated. The Manhattan approach to the bridge is supported on a series of Guastavino tile vaults. The vaults are composed of three layers of tiles, which support themselves and measure 4 inches (100 mm) thick in total. A layer of glazing and small lights were installed in 1918. The space under

7896-420: The Manhattan approach measures 120 by 270 feet (37 by 82 m) across. It is divided into a series of tiled vaults measuring 30 by 30 feet (9.1 by 9.1 m) across. As the bridge ascends to the east, the floor slopes down and the ceiling slopes up; as such, the ceiling measures 60 feet (18 m) high at its highest point. The Guastavino tiles cover the steel superstructure of the approach ramp. Originally,

8037-419: The Manhattan approach, and the city's parking authority contemplated erecting a parking garage west of the bridge's Manhattan terminus the same year. Another proposal to toll the bridge was rejected as overly expensive. Public Works commissioner Frederick H. Zurmuhlen announced that October that his office was preparing plans for the northern upper roadway, and he petitioned the city government for $ 6.5 million for

8178-1138: The NY ;454 intersection, NY 25 meets the Sunken Meadow State Parkway by way of an interchange. NY 25A, a spur of NY 25, becomes concurrent with NY 25 in Smithtown . In Village of the Branch , NY 25A leaves to the north where NY 111 intersects from the south. New York State Bicycle Route 25 (NYS Bike Route 25) also begins along NY 25A at this intersection. NY 347 intersects at 47.93 miles (77.14 km) in Nesconset . In Coram , NY 25 intersects with NY 112 . NY 25A ends at NY 25 in Calverton , and NYS Bike Route 25 joins NY 25 on its way to Orient Point, with occasional diversions in Riverhead, Aquebogue, and Greenport. Four miles (6 km) later, NY 25 encounters

8319-572: The Nassau County line as Jericho Turnpike was signed into law by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on June 6, 2005, and took effect on September 4. Many former segments of the roads NY 25 follows exist along the current alignment, with most prefaced by the word "Old" in the road name. Within Jericho , Old Jericho Turnpike parallels the current road from a point east of the NY ;106 – NY 107 interchange and Marian Lane, where

8460-895: The Northern State Parkway. NY 25 again intersects with the Long Island Expressway in Jericho . NY 106 and NY 107 interchange with NY 25 in downtown Jericho, however the exit is not numbered. The northern end of the Seaford–Oyster Bay Expressway ( NY 135 ) terminates at NY 25 in Syosset . NY 110 intersects at the 32.76 miles (52.72 km) mark, in South Huntington . NY 454 begins at an intersection with NY 25 in Commack . Just after

8601-623: The Queensboro Bridge opened, the city government conducted a study and found that it had no authority to charge tolls on the Queensboro and Manhattan bridges. Tolls on the Queensboro Bridge, as well as the Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn bridges to the south, were abolished in July 1911 as part of a populist policy initiative headed by New York City mayor William Jay Gaynor . A bridge approach between Second and Third avenues in Manhattan

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8742-473: The Queens–Midtown Tunnel opened in 1940, The New York Times predicted it would relieve congestion on the Queensboro Bridge. The Manhattan approach viaduct was repaired in 1920, and city officials began adding a concrete pavement to the bridge in mid-1924. Engineers determined at the time that a hard-surfaced roadway would be too heavy for the bridge. Queens borough president Maurice E. Connolly said

8883-455: The anchorages on either side to street level. This brings the bridge's total length to 7,449 feet (2,270 m). The bridge carries New York State Route 25 , which ends at the span's western terminus. The lengths of the steel spans are as follows, from the westernmost span to the easternmost: The bridge was intended to carry a dead load of 32,200 pounds per foot (47,900 kg/m). Each span includes two parallel lines of trusses, one each on

9024-482: The approach viaducts were completed on August 17. The city refused to pay Pennsylvania Steel until 1912, when a judge forced them to do so. Businessmen proposed renaming the crossing as the Queensboro Bridge in September 1908, saying the Blackwell Island name was too closely associated with the island's hospitals and asylums. Despite several Irish-American groups' objections that the Queensboro name resembled

9165-621: The bridge in 1928. Goldman publicized his plans for the southern upper roadway in April 1929, and the T. H. Reynolds Company had been hired to move the elevated tracks by the next month. The Bersin Construction Company received a contract for the new roadway in August 1929 and started construction the same month. A contract for the Queens approach viaduct was awarded to Bersin-Ronn Engineering Corporation in April 1930. The upper roadway

9306-472: The bridge in July 1935, and lane control lights for the lower level's reversible lanes were installed later the same year. The bridge's wooden pavement also posed a hazard during rainy weather and made the bridge one of the city's most dangerous roadways by the mid-1930s. This prompted local groups to call for the installation of a non-skid pavement. Workers repaved the upper level in early 1935 and began installing an experimental concrete-and-steel pavement on

9447-477: The bridge included a ferry from Manhattan to Queens; larger signs pointing to existing ferries; a parallel bridge; and a parallel tunnel (later the Queens–Midtown Tunnel ). Traffic on the bridge more than doubled from 1924 to 1932, though the opening of new vehicular crossings caused congestion to increase less rapidly after 1932. By the mid-1930s, the bridge handled an average of 110,000 vehicles daily. When

9588-573: The bridge was initially covered with carpeting for the 1976 marathon; the carpeting was not used after 1977 , when the bridge was repaved. The bridge is also part of the course of the Five Boro Bike Tour , which occurs every April; contestants traverse the bridge eastbound toward Queens. As of 2022, the Five Boro Bike Tour uses the northern upper-level roadway. Prior to the construction of the Queensboro Bridge, two ferries connected modern-day Manhattan and Queens, neither of which were near

9729-519: The bridge was similar to the collapsed Quebec Bridge , and the plans had been modified after the contract for the superstructure had been awarded. That June, the Board of Estimate authorized $ 30,000 for two investigations into the bridge's safety. The Pennsylvania Steel Company formally completed the superstructure on June 16, 1908, eighteen months behind schedule. The Department of Bridges began receiving bids that July for paving and electrical equipment, and

9870-414: The bridge were first turned on March 28, and the bridge opened to the public two days later on March 30, 1909. The upper deck's tracks were not in service because engineers had deemed them unsafe for use. The Queensboro Bridge formally opened as scheduled on June 12, 1909; at the time, it was the fourth-longest bridge in the world. The grand opening included a fireworks display, a parade lasting several hours,

10011-487: The bridge were riveted together on March 13, 1908, and the Blackwell's Island and Queens sections were linked on March 18. The Board of Aldermen appropriated another $ 1.2 million for the bridge's completion shortly afterward; the project had cost $ 6.2 million up to that point. The New York City Department of Finance 's chief engineer began investigating the bridge in May 1908 in response to concerns over its structural integrity, as

10152-511: The bridge's decks was completed in January 1909. In total, the crossing had cost about $ 20 million, including $ 12.6 million for spans and over $ 5 million for land acquisition. One newspaper had estimated that 55 workers had been killed during construction. In February 1909, the Celebration Committee set June 12 as the bridge's official opening date, and two grand parades were planned for the bridge's official opening. The lights on

10293-418: The bridge's elevators and power houses, and the city authorized another $ 400,000 for the bridge's construction. Local merchants protested the postponement of the elevators, saying it would not save money. Before work on the superstructure began, workers erected seventeen temporary 135-foot-tall (41 m) bents between the two piers on Blackwell's Island. When the bents were almost complete, ironworkers organized

10434-404: The bridge's piers. Laborers began constructing foundations for another pier on the eastern shore of Blackwell Island in April 1895. Stone and steel contracts had been awarded by the following year, and two of the piers had been built above the water line. Construction was halted after the piers were built, first due to lawsuits, then because of Corbin's death. Manhattan and Queens were merged into

10575-413: The bridge's spires the same month. Just before Lindenthal left office, the city received bids for four elevator towers and two powerhouses for the bridge at the end of 1903; the powerhouses were to supply the elevators. These elevators were to be positioned within the ends of the piers, which would make it impossible to widen the piers at a later date. City corrections commissioner Francis J. Lantry opposed

10716-429: The bridge's towers and roadway, though no architectural contract had been awarded yet. By mid-1903, the piers were two-thirds completed. The bedrock under the Queens side of the bridge was very close to the ground, so work on the piers in Queens was able to proceed more rapidly than work on the other piers. The Board of Estimate appropriated an additional $ 3.86 million for the bridge's construction in July 1903. Low rejected

10857-422: The bridge's width. By mid-1902, Lindenthal was requesting an additional $ 3.78 million for the bridge's completion. In October, a special committee recommended that Lindenthal's plans be rejected, saying that it would cost the city more if construction were halted and that two other East River bridges were also about 120 feet wide. City comptroller Edward M. Grout , meanwhile, wanted workers to divert their efforts to

10998-538: The bridge, but the firm refused to comply with his order, saying they would lose large amounts of money if work were halted. Lindenthal submitted the modified plans to the Municipal Art Society for approval but withdrew them that July, and he also allowed Ryan & Parker to continue constructing the piers. Lindenthal decided to significantly modify his plans. Queens residents strongly protested any design changes, and Lindenthal finally agreed not to change

11139-624: The bridge. By late 1898, Queens residents were threatening to not vote for the Democratic Party (of which Van Wyck was part) if the construction of the bridge did not begin shortly. The city allocated $ 100,000 for preliminary surveys and borings for the Blackwell's Island Bridge, as well as the Williamsburg Bridge between Manhattan and Brooklyn, at the end of 1898. In early 1899, R. S. Buck published plans for an asymmetrical cantilever bridge connecting Queens with Manhattan;

11280-426: The bridges. Above the piers rise the bridge's towers, which contain domed decorations and Art Nouveau -inspired spires. The towers extend 185 feet (56 m) above the bridge's lower chords. The tops of the towers are made of 225 granite blocks, which were part of the original design but not added until 1937. The spires were removed at some point in the 20th century after deteriorating. The two anchorages, one each at

11421-429: The cantilever arms from each tower toward the center of the river. As such, the bridge was essentially built in three sections in Manhattan, Blackwell's Island, and Queens. By early 1907, the cost of acquiring land for the approaches had increased to $ 6 million, double the original estimate, and the cost of the entire bridge had increased to as much as $ 18 million. Snare & Triest submitted a low bid of $ 1.577 million for

11562-459: The center. Each lamppost had five tiers of decorations, and the sides of each lamppost were inscribed with the names of four of the city's five boroughs. The lampposts were both removed in 1974 when the Roosevelt Island Tramway was developed, but the 59th Street lamppost was restored two years later. Parts of the other lamppost were found in a Queens warehouse in 2012 and rededicated on Roosevelt Island in 2015. The Queensboro Bridge has been part of

11703-559: The city to save $ 850,000 while allowing the city to build toll booths, as well as stairs and elevators to Blackwell's Island, within these piers. To compensate for the reduced width, a 45-foot-wide (14 m) upper deck would be built. By January 1902, only $ 42,000 had been spent on the project. In June 1902, a subcommittee of the New York City Board of Estimate requested another $ 5 million for construction. The same month, Lindenthal ordered Ryan & Parker to stop working on

11844-509: The city's takeover of his franchise, mayor Robert Anderson Van Wyck wanted to build a new bridge in a slightly different location. A New York state senator introduced legislation in early 1897 to permit the development of a bridge between Manhattan and Queens; the unified city government was to pay for the bridge. At a meeting in Long Island City in February 1898, a group of men from both boroughs were appointed to consider plans for

11985-421: The construction of the Manhattan approach that May, and work on that approach began that July. After the collapse of the similarly designed Quebec Bridge in mid-1907, engineers said they had no concerns about the Blackwell's Island Bridge. The steel towers above both of the Blackwell's Island piers had been completed and were being painted. That September, some beams at the eastern end of the bridge were blown into

12126-496: The construction of the northern upper roadway and approach ramps. With the opening of the Welfare Island Bridge that year, the city shuttered the trolley lanes, mid-bridge station, and stairs to Roosevelt Island, and it also planned to close down the bridge's elevators. The last trolley traversed the bridge in April 1957, and the elevators and stairs on the Queens side of the bridge were closed the same month, although

12267-596: The early 2020s. The Queensboro Bridge was originally named for the borough of Queens and was the third bridge across the East River to be named after a New York City borough , after the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge . By the late 20th century, the Queensboro Bridge was also known as the 59th Street Bridge because its Manhattan end is located between 59th and 60th streets. This name caused controversy among Queens residents who felt that

12408-512: The early plans called for a utilitarian design. The New York City Bridge Department's chief engineer finalized plans for the bridge in October 1899. Coler drew up a plan for a tunnel between Queens and Manhattan via Blackwell's Island; he claimed that the tunnel would cost $ 1.9 million, while the bridge would cost $ 13 million. The Board of Aldermen appropriated $ 1 million for the bridge at the end of 1899. State assemblyman Edward C. Brennan proposed

12549-517: The elevator in Roosevelt Island would not be demolished for 13 years. The Queens approach ramps were also rebuilt, accounting for over two-thirds of the project's cost. The Thomson Avenue ramp was completed first, followed by the ramp to 21st Street in late 1957. The northern upper roadway opened in September 1958, and the bridge was formally rededicated in April 1959 for its 50th anniversary. In 1958, Consolidated Edison proposed converting

12690-413: The elevators because they would allow prisoners on Blackwell's Island to escape. In early 1904, Lindenthal's successor George Best canceled plans for ornamentation on the bridge. The Pennsylvania Steel Company was obligated to complete the superstructure by the beginning of 1907, and it submitted drawings for the construction of the superstructure in mid-1904. Later that year, Best postponed construction of

12831-426: The foundations in June 1901, with Ryan & Parker as the low bidder. Groundbreaking took place that September. After Seth Low was elected as the city's mayor in late 1901, he promised that work would continue, even though the city's new bridge commissioner, Gustav Lindenthal , wanted to temporarily halt construction. Lindenthal narrowed the bridge from 120 to 80 feet (37 to 24 m). The modifications would allow

12972-410: The girder or truss and meant that longer spans could be built. Several 19th-century engineers patented continuous bridges with hinge points mid-span. The use of a hinge in the multi-span system presented the advantages of a statically determinate system and of a bridge that could handle differential settlement of the foundations. Engineers could more easily calculate the forces and stresses with

13113-449: The grooves were first widened, then infilled by September. To reduce congestion, one civic group suggested a plaza at the bridge's Manhattan end in the early 1930s, while Manhattan's borough president Samuel Levy proposed building an underpass to carry traffic on Second Avenue beneath the Manhattan end of the bridge. Precipitation had begun to corrode the bridge's steel supports, as the masonry work had never been completed; this prompted

13254-514: The late 1920s, NY 25 was realigned to follow Jericho Turnpike and Middle Country Road between Smithtown and Riverhead while its former alignment to the north became part of NY 25A. In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York , the routings of NY 25 and NY 25A were flipped west of Smithtown, placing both routes on their current alignments. NY 25 was extended east to Orient Point c.  1932 . NY 25

13395-426: The lower level and replace the existing roadway with a pair of 26-foot-wide (7.9 m) roadways on the upper and lower levels. The upper roadway would have connected to Van Alst Avenue (21st Street) in Queens; one company proposed constructing the deck in 18 months. The subway plans were ultimately dropped in favor of the 60th Street Tunnel . In early 1916, the New York City government allocated $ 144,000 for repairs to

13536-410: The lower level that April. City officials also contemplated adding an asphalt -plank pavement to the bridge. Works Progress Administration (WPA) laborers began repaving the lower level in March 1936; The city government also planned to add lane markings to the lower roadway and convert the upper roadway permanently into a one-way road. After delays caused by material and labor shortages, the repaving of

13677-487: The lower level was completed in June 1937. WPA laborers also completed the tops of the bridge's towers. WPA workers began rebuilding the upper level pavement in July 1938, and the upper roadway closed that October, reopening two months later. By 1942, the city government was planning to shutter and dismantle the Second Avenue Elevated tracks across the Queensboro Bridge; the line closed in June 1942, and it

13818-442: The lower-level trolley tracks into vehicular lanes in exchange for permission to install power cables under the bridge. Consolidated Edison spent $ 4 million in 1960 to install power cables, convert the trolley tracks, and construct slip roads between the lower-level roadways. The new lanes, on the northern and southern sides of the bridge, opened on September 15, 1960. The same year, Manhattan borough president Louis A. Cioffi proposed

13959-494: The mid-1940s, NY 24 was realigned to enter Manhattan by way of the Queens–Midtown Tunnel . As a result, NY 24 now left NY 25 at what is now exit 36 on the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway . The overlap with NY 25A was removed by 1952 after that route was truncated to the intersection of Northern and Queens Boulevards. NY 25 continued to extend into Manhattan until the mid-1960s when NY 22

14100-649: The modern-day bridge. One such ferry connected Borden Avenue in Hunters Point, Queens , to 34th Street in Kips Bay, Manhattan , while the other ferry connected Astoria Boulevard in Astoria, Queens , with 92nd Street on Manhattan's Upper East Side . Benjamin Henry Latrobe first proposed a masonry bridge between Manhattan and Queens in 1804. The Family Magazine published an article in 1833, suggesting

14241-632: The name Jericho Turnpike. Further east, the highway becomes Main Street in Smithtown , Middle Country Road in central Suffolk, Main Street again in Riverhead , and finally Main Road in eastern Suffolk. Two alternate routings exist bearing the designation NY 25 Truck, both along the North Fork. They began as two separate routes, one between Laurel and Mattituck and the other in the vicinity of Greenport; however, they were effectively merged after

14382-425: The names. The confusion ended where the road wholly entered Nassau County and thus became Jericho Turnpike in both directions. Similarly, both sides of the road west of Braddock Avenue (where NY 25 splits off to the northwest) were known as Jamaica Avenue even though the south side is still the Nassau County border until 225th Street. Legislation renaming the westbound side of NY 25 between Braddock Avenue and

14523-411: The need for more strength at the balanced cantilever's supports, the bridge superstructure often takes the form of towers above the foundation piers. The Commodore Barry Bridge is an example of this type of cantilever bridge. Steel truss cantilevers support loads by tension of the upper members and compression of the lower ones. Commonly, the structure distributes the tension via the anchor arms to

14664-546: The new approaches. In late 1928, the Board of Estimate allowed construction to commence on both the new lanes and the approach viaducts at either end. To reduce congestion, the Manhattan ends of the upper and lower roadways were 700 feet (210 m) apart, while the Queens ends of these roadways were about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) apart. Real-estate developers supported the project because it would encourage real-estate and business activity in Queens. Fire extinguishers and chemical carts, for fighting small fires, were also installed on

14805-474: The new roadway. By the next year, plans for the roadway and its Manhattan approach were complete, and workers were demolishing buildings to make way for the roadway's Manhattan approach. Zurmuhlen requested $ 8.2 million from the city in 1953 for the construction of the roadway; in exchange, he dropped plans for a bus terminal at the Manhattan end of the bridge. The bridge's approaches were repaved in 1954. The Board of Estimate allocated $ 7.7 million in June 1955 for

14946-470: The north and south sides of the bridge; the centers of these trusses are spaced 60 feet (18 m) apart. The bottom chord of each set of trusses is composed of box girders , while the top chord is composed of eyebars measuring 8 to 12 inches (200 to 300 mm) deep. The trusses range in height from 45 to 118 feet (14 to 36 m) between the bottom and top chords; the steel towers atop each pier measure 185 feet (56 m) tall. Unlike other large bridges,

15087-790: The old alignment merges with the current NY 25. Smithtown contains a former segment in the vicinity of the Nissequogue River with a bridge and former right-of-way that still exists today. In Coram , an old alignment of Middle Country Road (NY 25) extends from east of Paul's Path to Grant Smith Road. The road, however, is discontinuous at NY 112 . At Middle Island , a former segment of Middle Country Road exists east of Church Lane and north of Bartlett Pond and runs to Robin Drive in Middle Island, where it rejoins NY 25. Another former segment used to dip south to avoid

15228-609: The outermost supports, while the compression is carried to the foundations beneath the central towers. Many truss cantilever bridges use pinned joints and are therefore statically determinate with no members carrying mixed loads. Prestressed concrete balanced cantilever bridges are often built using segmental construction . Some steel arch bridges (such as the Navajo Bridge ) are built using pure cantilever spans from each side, with neither falsework below nor temporary supporting towers and cables above. These are then joined with

15369-551: The piers on Roosevelt Island being the tallest. The foundations of the Roosevelt Island piers are shallow, since there is bedrock just below the surface of the island. By comparison, the piers in Manhattan and Queens extend over 50 feet (15 m) deep. The piers are faced with Maine granite and are attached to a backing made of concrete and Mohawk Valley limestone. In total, workers used 14,000 cubic yards (11,000 m) of limestone, 17,000 cubic yards (13,000 m) of concrete, and 22,800 cubic yards (17,400 m) of granite to build

15510-444: The plans for the bridge before any work could begin, approved the span's construction in February 1901. Initially, the crossing was referred to as East River Bridge No. 4; the Board of Aldermen voted to officially rename it the Blackwell's Island Bridge in March 1902. R. S. Buck and his assistants were directed to prepare plans for the sites of the bridge's piers, anchorages, and foundations . The Department of Bridges received bids for

15651-422: The plaza and road later the same year. Miller revised his plans in 1925, calling for a tunnel under Second Avenue and a new street east of the avenue between 57th and 63rd streets. To alleviate congestion, one of the bridge's lanes was used as a reversible lane during peak hours. In late 1926, Plant and Structure commissioner Albert Goldman proposed adding three vehicular lanes and removing the bridge's footpaths;

15792-527: The proposal also called for new approaches at either end and relocation of the elevated tracks. The Merchants Association and the Fifth Avenue Association endorsed this plan. The Board of Estimate allocated $ 150,000 for improvements to the bridge in April 1927, and the board approved the $ 3 million plan that June. The project was delayed due to difficulties in acquiring property, and the city controller's office contemplated abandoning plans for

15933-501: The proposed bridge in 1875 and hosted an architectural design competition for the bridge in 1876. A cantilever design by Charles Macdonald and the Delaware Bridge Company was selected in early 1877, but no action had been taken by 1878, a year after the plans were approved. Media sources reported in May 1881 that work was to commence shortly, and a cofferdam for one of the bridge's piers was installed that month. By

16074-407: The renaming disrespectful to their borough. The general public continued to call it the Queensboro Bridge years after the renaming. New York City Council member Peter Vallone Jr. of Queens proposed removing Koch's name from the bridge in 2013. The Queensboro Bridge is a two-level double cantilever bridge , with separate cantilevered spans over channels on each side of Roosevelt Island joined by

16215-430: The river during a heavy windstorm. The same month, Maryland Steel Company submitted a low bid of $ 758,000 for a steel-and-masonry approach in Queens. Several buildings in Long Island City, including rowhouses and an old homestead, were demolished for the Queens approach. The easternmost steel span was well underway by the end of 1907, and work on the steel towers on the Manhattan and Queens waterfronts began that December. At

16356-446: The road runs over the eponymous subway line starting at the intersection with Grand Avenue and Broadway. In Corona , the road intersects the Long Island Expressway (I-495) and the northern terminus of Woodhaven Boulevard . Outside of Rego Park , NY 25 turns slightly southeast towards Forest Hills and Jamaica . In Kew Gardens the route is connected to the westbound and eastbound roadways of Union Turnpike and passes over

16497-418: The roadway, as it had never been repaved and was full of holes and ruts. A new foundation was installed to slow down the decay of the wooden pavement. Simultaneously, the city's Public Service Commission had approved the construction of connections between the bridge's upper-level tracks and the elevated lines at either end. Elevated service across the bridge commenced in July 1917, and the entire repaving project

16638-539: The route connects with both I-295 and NY 24 at an interchange that serves as NY 24's western end and I-295's southern terminus. East of I-295, NY 25 intersects the western terminus of NY 25B ; NY 25 turns southeast onto Braddock Avenue while Hillside Avenue continues east as Route 25B. In Bellerose , the roadway passes over the Cross Island Parkway and turns east onto Jericho Turnpike. This section, to just before 257th Street,

16779-416: The same weight. The beams could withstand loads of up to 56,000 pounds (25,000 kg) each, while the nickel-steel eyebars were intended to withstand loads of up to 85,000 pounds (39,000 kg). The decks themselves were designed to carry as much as 16,000 pounds per foot (24,000 kg/m). The steel spans between the anchorages weigh a total of 52,000 short tons (46,000 long tons; 47,000 t) and have

16920-583: The strike, and the Pennsylvania Steel Company had replaced the striking workers by that May. The strike delayed construction by four months. City officials condemned a 250-foot-wide (76 m) strip of land for the Queens approach viaduct in October 1906. The city's Bridge Commission received bids for the construction of a steel approach viaduct in Queens in December 1906, and the Buckley Realty Construction Company submitted

17061-526: The time the United States Congress approved plans for the bridge in 1887, Rainey's bridge had been relocated southward. A state justice found in 1890 that the bridge's charter was invalid. Nonetheless, Rainey's efforts to build the bridge made his name "a household word in western Long Island". By the 1890s, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) president Austin Corbin had merged Rainey's plan and

17202-406: The time, the bridge was more than 70 percent complete. Although Manhattan residents supported widening 59th Street to serve as the bridge's Manhattan approach, the city's controller was opposed. The project continued to experience labor disputes, such as in early 1908, when disgruntled workers tried to destroy the Blackwell's Island span with dynamite. The Manhattan and Blackwell's Island sections of

17343-579: The trusses are not suspended; instead, the spans are directly connected to each other. In addition, there are transverse floor beams, which protrude 13 feet (4.0 m) from the trusses on either side of the deck. Atop the bridge's topmost chords were originally galvanized steel ropes, which acted as handrails for bridge painters. Five hand-operated scaffolds were also placed on the bridge. The spans are cantilevered from steel towers that rise above four central piers . Each cantilevered section measures 808 to 1,061 feet (246 to 323 m) long. The two spans above

17484-478: The vaults were intended as storage space. From the bridge's 1909 opening, the space under the Manhattan approach was used as a food market. The food market was renovated in 1933 and was later converted to a sign shop and garage. By the 1970s, the space under the Manhattan approach was used by the Department of Highways. New York City Center 's Cinematheque leased space under the Queensboro Bridge in 1973, although

17625-489: The walkways), as well as 13-foot-wide (4.0 m) walkways cantilevered outside the trusses. As of 2023, the upper level has four lanes of automobile traffic, consisting of a pair of two-lane roadways. Although both roadways end at Thomson Avenue in Queens, they diverge in Manhattan. The two northern lanes, normally used by westbound traffic, lead to 62nd and 63rd Streets. The two southern lanes, normally used by eastbound traffic, lead to 57th and 58th Streets. The southern roadway

17766-408: The weight of trucks had caused the steel buckle plates under the pavement to break, though the commissioner of the city's Plant and Structure Department said the bridge was still safe and that stronger plates were being installed. In addition, Manhattan borough president Julius Miller proposed a plaza and a new approach road at the Manhattan end in 1924, and he submitted plans to acquire property for

17907-408: Was altered again in the early 1940s to follow an even more southerly alignment between Horace Harding and Springfield Boulevards via Queens Boulevard and Union Turnpike . NY 25 went unchanged until January 1, 1970, when NY 24 was truncated to begin at the junction of 212th Street and Hillside Avenue. NY 24's former alignment along Queens Boulevard and Hillside Avenue became part of

18048-444: Was completed as a result of I-495's eastern completion. This interchange was fully operational by 1972. It features grade separated ramps, high-speed banked curves, and interstate standard signing. A traffic light at Manor Road was installed at the time of completion of Splish Splash Water Park in 1991. NY 25 once had as many as four suffixed routes; two no longer exist. There are two separate routes designated NY 25 Truck on

18189-498: Was completed at the beginning of 1906. After the Blackwell's Island span was finished, the falsework was moved to Manhattan and Queens, and the westernmost and easternmost spans were built atop the falsework. At that point, the city government had acquired much of the land for the approaches. The bridge's construction was delayed when the Housesmiths' Union went on strike that January. Unions representing other trades refused to join

18330-468: Was demolished by the end of the year. There were also plans in the mid-1940s to connect the bridge's Queens terminal with an expressway running to the John F. Kennedy International Airport . The City Planning Commission proposed rebuilding the Manhattan end of the bridge in late 1946 and adding an eight-story parking garage above the approach viaduct. This proposal was postponed due to a lack of money. The bridge

18471-490: Was initially used by pedestrians, horse-drawn and motor vehicles, elevated trains, and trolleys. Elevated service ceased in 1942, followed by trolley service in 1957. The upper-level roadways were built in the early 1930s and the late 1950s. Designated as a New York City landmark in 1973, the bridge was renovated extensively from the late 1970s to the 1990s. The bridge was officially renamed in 2011 in honor of former New York City mayor Ed Koch , and another renovation occurred in

18612-460: Was made in 1867 by wealthy Long Island City residents, who established the New-York and Long Island Bridge Company to erect the crossing. This group was led by Thomas Rainey, a doctor from Astoria. The crossing would have connected 77th Street in Manhattan and 34th Avenue in Queens, passing over the center of Blackwell's Island. The New-York and Long Island Bridge Company appointed commissioners for

18753-411: Was nearly done later that year. By the early 1920s, one hundred thousand people a day used the span, and the Queensboro Bridge and the other East River bridges were rapidly reaching their vehicular capacity. One count in 1920 found that an estimated 18,000 motor vehicles used the bridge daily, while another count in 1925 found that 45,000 vehicles used the span in 24 hours. Proposals to relieve traffic on

18894-528: Was not enough material to begin constructing the superstructure. There were so few workers on site, a local group estimated that the bridge would not be completed for fifty years. Work on the superstructure began later in 1905. By that November, workers had erected part of a steel tower atop the pier on the western side of Blackwell's Island; at the time, the media anticipated that 3,000 short tons (2,700 long tons; 2,700 t) of steel would be erected every month. The first steel span, that above Blackwell's Island,

19035-536: Was one of several routes that was extended west into New York City in mid-December 1934 when the city signed routes within its limits for the first time. The route followed Jericho Turnpike, Braddock Avenue, Springfield Boulevard, Horace Harding Boulevard, and several smaller streets (including Corona, Woodside, and Skillman Avenues) westward to Queens Boulevard , then part of NY 24 . NY 25 joined NY 24 here, overlapping NY 24 (and NY 25A west of Northern Boulevard) along Queens Boulevard and across

19176-412: Was planning to open a supermarket in this space, which opened in December 2021. There is a massive bronze lamppost at the end of the Manhattan approach, near the intersection of Second Avenue and 59th Street. Formerly, there was a second lamppost near 60th Street. Both lampposts consisted of thick piers, which were topped by four stanchions (each with a globe-shaped lamp) and a larger spherical lamp in

19317-434: Was proposed in 1913, and plans for elevated rapid transit on the upper level were approved at the same time. By that year, the bridge carried 29 million people a year (compared to 3.6 million during 1909). Horse-drawn vehicles made up almost 30 percent of the bridge's total vehicular traffic in the early 1910s, which dropped to less than 2 percent within a decade. In mid-1914, engineers devised plans to add two subway tracks to

19458-557: Was repainted in 1948, and a $ 12 million renovation of the bridge was announced the next year. The plan included two extra lanes on the upper level, new pavement, a bus terminal in Manhattan, and cloverleaf ramps at the Manhattan approach. The city government was concurrently planning the Welfare Island Bridge , which would allow people to access Welfare Island without needing to use the Queensboro Bridge's elevator. Officials installed fences in 1951 to prevent jaywalking at

19599-470: Was substantially completed by early 1931; it opened that June and carried only eastbound cars. By then, the bridge was carrying almost 100,000 vehicles a day. A new footpath was also constructed on the south side of the upper level but was not opened with the upper roadway. Initially, the upper deck had a wood, granite, and asphalt pavement. It contained grooves for motorists' tires, preventing them from changing lanes; after drivers complained about damaged tires,

19740-494: Was truncated to end in Queens as a result. It was reextended across the Queensboro Bridge on January 1, 1970, to a new terminus at FDR Drive . NY 25 has been realigned several times within the New York City limits. In the late 1930s, NY 25 was realigned to follow Queens Boulevard (NY 24) from Skillman Avenue to Horace Harding Boulevard, where NY 25 turned eastward to follow Horace Harding Boulevard back to its original alignment at Corona Avenue. The route

19881-526: Was truncated to end in the North Bronx . At that time, westbound traffic on NY 25 continued off the Queensboro Bridge onto 60th Street to Park Avenue , where it turned south, then west along 57th Street to its terminus at the West Side Highway ( NY 9A ). Eastbound traffic traveled on 57th Street from NY 9A to the Queensboro Bridge entrance ramp. In the mid-1960s, NY 25

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