Queensboro Bridge

Queensboro Bridge
View from Manhattan towards Roosevelt Island, 2010
Coordinates40°45′25″N 73°57′17″W / 40.75694°N 73.95472°W / 40.75694; -73.95472
Carries
  • 9 lanes (4 upper, 5 lower) of NY 25
  • 1 lane for pedestrians/bicycles
CrossesEast River
LocaleNew York City (ManhattanQueens)
Official nameEd Koch Queensboro Bridge
Other name(s)59th Street Bridge
Blackwell Island Bridge
Maintained byNew York City Department of Transportation
ID number2240048
Characteristics
DesignDouble-decked cantilever bridge
Total length7,449 ft (2,270 m)
Width100 ft (30 m)
Height350 ft (110 m)
Longest span1,182 ft (360 m) (west span)
No. of spans5
Clearance above12 feet (3.7 m) (upper level)
Clearance below130 ft (40 m)
History
ArchitectHenry Hornbostel
DesignerGustav Lindenthal
Engineering design byLeffert L. Buck
OpenedMarch 30, 1909; 115 years ago (1909-03-30)
Statistics
Daily traffic160,111 (2019)[1]
TollFree
Queensboro Bridge
Architectural styleBeaux-Arts; through cantilever truss
NRHP reference No.78001879[2]
NYSRHP No.06101.000495
NYCL No.0828
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 20, 1978
Designated NYSRHPJune 23, 1980
Designated NYCLApril 16, 1974
Location
Map

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 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 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 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 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 the early 2020s.

  1. ^ "NYC DOT – Data Feeds". New York City Department of Transportation. 2019. NYC Bridge & Screenline Traffic Volumes Dashboard. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  2. ^ "National Register Information System – (#78001879)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.