Manhasset Viaduct

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Manhasset Viaduct
Manhasset Valley trestle spruce jeh.jpg
The Manhasset Viaduct, as seen from the Thomaston side, looking northeast.
Coordinates 40°47′33″N73°42′36″W / 40.79252°N 73.71008°W / 40.79252; -73.71008
Carries LIRR Port Washington Branch
Crosses Manhasset Bay
LocaleVillage of Thomaston and Hamlet of Manhasset, Nassau County, New York
Owner Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Maintained by Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Characteristics
DesignSteel stringer bridge
Material Steel
Total length679 feet (207 meters)
Height81 feet (25 meters)
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks 1
Track gauge 4 feet, 8+1⁄2 inches (220 millimeters) (Standard gauge)
Electrified October 21, 1913
History
Constructed by King Bridge Co.
Carnegie Steel Company
OpenedJune 23, 1898
Location
Manhasset Viaduct

The Manhasset Viaduct (also known as the Manhasset Valley Bridge, the Manhasset Valley Viaduct, and the Manhasset Trestle) is a railroad viaduct located between Manhasset and the Village of Thomaston within the Town of North Hempstead, on Long Island, New York. It carries the Port Washington Branch of the Long Island Rail Road over Manhasset Bay, between the Cow Neck and Great Neck Peninsulas.

Contents

Overview

East Shore Road from the viaduct East Shore Road, Thomaston, New York, November 8, 2023.jpg
East Shore Road from the viaduct

Standing at a height of 81 feet (25 meters) above Manhasset Bay and measuring 679 feet (207 meters) in length, the Manhasset Viaduct is the highest bridge on the entire LIRR network. [1] [2] The viaduct uses a steel stringer bridge design and is one of two King Bridge Company-built railway viaducts still in operation as of 2025 – the other being the Short Line Viaduct near Cleveland, Ohio. [3] [4] [5] [6]

The Manhasset Viaduct is a critical component of the infrastructure on the LIRR's Port Washington Branch. [1] Its construction enabled the railroad line to traverse the Manhasset Valley and Manhasset Bay: due to the surrounding area's geographical and topographical characteristics, the LIRR could not extend the line into Manhasset and Port Washington – both communities being located across the valley, on the Cow Neck Peninsula – without it building a viaduct over it and the bay. [1] [4]

The viaduct also passes over two major roads – one on each end: East Shore Road (at its west end) and Bayview Avenue (at its east end). [5]

History

The Manhasset Viaduct shortly after its completion, looking east GENERAL VIEW OF TRAIN TRESTLE - Long Island Railroad, Manhasset Bridge, Manhasset Shore Road Vicinity, Flower Hill, Nassau County, NY HAER NY,30-HEMPN,1-1.tif
The Manhasset Viaduct shortly after its completion, looking east

The Manhasset Viaduct was completed in 1898, and opened on June 23 of that year, as part of the Port Washington Branch's extension from Great Neck to Port Washington. [1] [4] [2] [7] It was erected by the Cincinnati, Ohio-based King Bridge Company, as well as the Carnegie Steel Company, and was constructed using Carnegie Steel. [4] [5] [3]

In 1913, the remainder of the Port Washington Branch between the line's split with the former Whitestone Branch east to Port Washington – including the portion of the line over this bridge – was electrified with a third rail, thus enabling electric trains to operate along the entire line; the electrification officially took place on October 21 of that year. [8]

Historical integrity

The Manhasset Viaduct is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, due to its historical and architectural significance and ties to the Carnegie Steel Company. [9]

The Manhasset Viaduct was featured in the 1914 serial, The Perils of Pauline . [3] [10] [11] [12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Keller, David; Lynch, Steven (2005). Revisiting the Long Island Rail Road: 1925-1975. Images of Rail. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   9780738538297.
  2. 1 2 Seyfried, Vincent F. (1975). "Part Six The Golden Age 1881-1900". The Long Island Rail Road: A Comprehensive History. Long Island: Vincent F. Seyfried. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Sloan, Allan King (October 2005). "The Manhasset Viaduct". King Bridge Company. Archived from the original on March 3, 2006.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "LIRR". Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  5. 1 2 3 "LIRR - Manhasset Viaduct". Bridgehunter.com. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  6. ↑ Clausen, Janelle (2018-07-23). "LIRR completes maintenance on Manhasset Viaduct - The Island Now Great Neck News". The Island Now. Retrieved 2025-01-05.[ dead link ]
  7. ↑ "Port Washington's Great Gala Day". The Brooklyn Times. June 23, 1898. Retrieved 2023-07-22– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "LIRR Branch Notes". www.trainsarefun.com. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  9. ↑ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS) – New York State Historic Preservation Office". cris.parks.ny.gov. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  10. ↑ Moehringer, J. R. (1989-04-09). "IF YOU'RE THINKING OF LIVING IN: Manhasset". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  11. ↑ "Perils of Pauline, The – Movies Filmed on Long Island". moviesfilmedonlongisland.com. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  12. ↑ Campiello, Veronica (2016-05-28). "Sand Mining In Port Washington". www.longislandpress.com. Retrieved 2025-01-05.

40°47′33″N73°42′35″W / 40.79256°N 73.70982°W / 40.79256; -73.70982

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