Pelham Bay Bridge

Last updated

Pelham Bay Bridge
Hutchinson River Bridge.jpg
Coordinates 40°51′48″N73°49′04″W / 40.8634°N 73.8179°W / 40.8634; -73.8179 [1]
Crosses Hutchinson River
Locale The Bronx, New York
Official namePelham Bay Bridge
Maintained by Amtrak
Characteristics
Design Bascule bridge, Warren truss
Material Concrete, Steel
Longest span81.7 feet (24.9 m) [1] [2]
History
DesignerScherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Co., Chicago, Illinois [1]
Opened1907 [3]
Location
Pelham Bay Bridge

The Pelham Bay Bridge, also known as the Amtrak Hutchinson River Bridge, is a two-track movable railroad bridge that carries the Northeast Corridor (NEC) over the Hutchinson River in the Bronx, New York, upstream from the vehicular/pedestrian Pelham Bridge. It is owned by Amtrak, which provides passenger service, and is used by CSX Transportation and the Providence & Worcester Railroad for freight traffic.

Contents

History

The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad completed construction of the bridge in 1907, which originally consisted of three parallel two-track spans. Amtrak partially rehabilitated it in 2009. [4] The bridge is obsolete and requires extensive ongoing maintenance, with speeds restricted to 45 miles per hour (72 km/h). The lift span is staffed and required to open on demand; it does so several times per day for commercial boats. [5]

Bridge replacement project

Amtrak plans to replace the bridge with a new high-level fixed bridge with clearance for maritime traffic. Preliminary work began in 2013. MTA's Metro-North Railroad has proposed the Penn Station Access using the bridge for a so-called Hell Gate Line service which would allow some New Haven Line trains to access New York Penn Station. [3] [6] [7] In January 2019, Amtrak and the MTA reached an agreement regarding Penn Station Access. As part of the deal, the MTA would pay to replace the Pelham Bay Bridge. [8] [9]

In August 2022 the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded a $4.5 million grant to Amtrak for the bridge replacement project. [10] In November 2022 the FRA published its inventory of pending improvement projects for the Northeast Corridor. The report lists the replacement of the Pelham Bay Bridge as one of 15 "Major Backlog Projects" which have the highest priority for funding. [11]

In June 2023, Amtrak applied for additional FRA grants to support multiple improvement projects in the Northeast Corridor, including additional work on the Pelham Bay Bridge project. [12] [13]

See also

As seen from Pelham Bridge with Co-op City in background Coop City Pelham Bridge jeh.JPG
As seen from Pelham Bridge with Co-op City in background

Related Research Articles

<i>Acela</i> Intercity rail service operated by Amtrak in the northeastern United States

The Acela is Amtrak's flagship passenger train service along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in the Northeastern United States between Washington, D.C., and Boston via 13 intermediate stops, including Baltimore, New York City and Philadelphia. Acela trains are the fastest in the Americas, reaching 150 miles per hour (240 km/h), but only over 49.9 miles (80.3 km) of the 457-mile (735 km) route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Penn Station</span> Major rail hub in New York City

Pennsylvania Station is the main intercity railroad station in New York City and the busiest transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere, serving more than 600,000 passengers per weekday as of 2019. The station is located beneath Madison Square Garden in the block bounded by Seventh and Eighth Avenues and 31st and 33rd Streets and in the James A. Farley Building, with additional exits to nearby streets, in Midtown Manhattan. It is close to several popular Manhattan locations, including Herald Square, the Empire State Building, Koreatown, and Macy's Herald Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro-North Railroad</span> Commuter rail service in New York and Connecticut

Metro-North Railroad, trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority of the U.S. state of New York. Metro-North serves the New York Metropolitan Area, running service between New York City and its northern suburbs in New York and Connecticut, including Port Jervis, Spring Valley, Poughkeepsie, Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, White Plains, Southeast and Wassaic in New York and Stamford, New Canaan, Danbury, Bridgeport, Waterbury, and New Haven in Connecticut. Service in Connecticut is operated under contract with the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Metro-North also provides local rail service within the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NJ Transit</span> Public transportation system

New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. It operates buses, light rail, and commuter rail services throughout the state, connecting to major commercial and employment centers both within the state and in its two adjacent major cities, New York City and Philadelphia. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 209,259,800.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northeast Corridor</span> Electrified railroad line in the Northeastern U.S.

The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston in the north to Washington, D.C. in the south, with major stops in Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore. The NEC closely parallels Interstate 95 for most of its length. Carrying more than 2,200 trains a day, it is the busiest passenger rail line in the United States by ridership and service frequency.

<i>Northeast Regional</i> Amtrak northeastern U.S. intercity rail service

The Northeast Regional is an intercity rail service operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. In the past it has been known as the NortheastDirect, Acela Regional, or Regional. It is Amtrak's busiest route, carrying 9,163,082 passengers in fiscal year (FY) 2023. The Northeast Regional service received more than $787.7 million in gross ticket revenue in FY 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Haven Line</span> Metro-North Railroad line in New York and Connecticut

The New Haven Line is a 72.7 mi (117.0 km) commuter rail line operated by the Metro-North Railroad in the U.S. states of New York and Connecticut. Running from New Haven, Connecticut, to New York City, the New Haven Line joins the Harlem Line in Mount Vernon, New York, and continues south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The New Haven Line carries 125,000 passengers every weekday and 39 million passengers a year. The busiest intermediate station is Stamford, with 8.4 million passengers, or 21% of the line's ridership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keystone Corridor</span> Rail corridor in Pennsylvania

The Keystone Corridor is a 349-mile (562 km) railroad corridor between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that consists of two rail lines: Amtrak and SEPTA's Philadelphia-to-Harrisburg main line, which hosts SEPTA's Paoli/Thorndale Line commuter rail service, and Amtrak's Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian inter-city trains; and the Norfolk Southern Pittsburgh Line. The corridor was originally the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson Line (Metro-North)</span> Metro-North Railroad line in New York

The Hudson Line is a commuter rail line owned and operated by the Metro-North Railroad in the U.S. state of New York. It runs north from New York City along the east shore of the Hudson River, terminating at Poughkeepsie. The line was originally the Hudson River Railroad, and eventually became the Hudson Division of the New York Central Railroad. It runs along what was the far southern leg of the Central's famed "Water Level Route" to Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amtrak Susquehanna River Bridge</span> Bridge in Maryland, U.S.

The Amtrak Susquehanna River Bridge is a Howe deck truss structure, opened in 1906, that carries two tracks of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor line across the Susquehanna River between Havre de Grace and Perryville, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portal Bridge</span> Railroad bridge in New Jersey

The Portal Bridge is a two-track rotating swing-span railroad bridge over the Hackensack River in Kearny and Secaucus, New Jersey, United States. It is on the Northeast Corridor just west of Secaucus Junction and east of the Sawtooth Bridges. Owned and operated by Amtrak and used extensively by NJ Transit, it is the busiest train span in the Western Hemisphere, carrying between 150,000 and 200,000 passengers per day on approximately 450 daily trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amtrak Old Saybrook–Old Lyme Bridge</span> Railroad bridge in Connecticut, US

The Amtrak Old Saybrook–Old Lyme Bridge is a railroad bridge that carries the Northeast Corridor over the Connecticut River between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme, Connecticut. It is the southernmost crossing of the river before it reaches Long Island Sound. The bridge is a truss bridge with a bascule span, allowing boat traffic to pass through. The bridge is owned by Amtrak; it is used by Amtrak Northeast Regional and Acela intercity trains, Shore Line East local trains, and Providence and Worcester Railroad freight trains. A $1.3 billion replacement bridge is planned to begin construction in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwalk River Railroad Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Norwalk River Railroad Bridge is a swing bridge built in 1896 for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. It currently carries Amtrak and Metro-North Railroad trains over the Norwalk River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dock Bridge</span> United States historic place

Dock Bridge is a pair of vertical lift bridges crossing the Passaic River at Newark, Essex County and Harrison, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, used exclusively for railroad traffic. It is the seventh crossing from the river's mouth at Newark Bay and is 5.0 miles (8.0 km) upstream from it. Also known as the Amtrak Dock Vertical Lift, it carries Amtrak, NJ Transit, and PATH trains. It is listed on the state and federal registers of historic places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge, also known as Saugatuck River Bridge, is a railroad bridge carrying trackage of Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line over the Saugatuck River in Westport, Connecticut. It is one of eight moveable bridges on the Amtrak Northeast Corridor route through Connecticut. It was built in 1905 for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The bridge is a single leaf Scherzer rolling lift bascule bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gateway Program (Northeast Corridor)</span> Planned expansion of the U.S. Northeast Corridor

The Gateway Program is a planned expansion and renovation of the Northeast Corridor (NEC) rail line between Newark, New Jersey, and New York City along the right-of-way between Newark Penn Station and New York Penn Station. The project is intended to build new rail bridges in the New Jersey Meadowlands, a new set of tunnels under Bergen Hill and the Hudson River, rehabilitate the existing 1910 tunnel, and construct a new terminal annex. The improvements are designed to double train capacity and permit more high-speed rail service along the current right-of-way, whose two-track rail line, used both by Amtrak and NJ Transit Rail Operations (NJT), has reached its full capacity of 24 trains per hour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn Station Access</span> Public works project in New York City

Penn Station Access (PSA) is a public works project underway by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City. The goal of the project is to allow Metro-North Railroad commuter trains to access Penn Station on Manhattan's West Side, using existing trackage owned by Amtrak. Metro-North trains currently terminate exclusively at Grand Central in Midtown Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Interlocking</span> Railroad junction in New York City

Harold Interlocking is a large railroad junction located in New York City. It is the busiest rail junction in the United States. It serves trains on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and the Long Island Rail Road's Main Line and Port Washington Branch, which diverge at the junction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hell Gate Line</span> Railroad line in New York

The Hell Gate Line is the portion of Amtrak's high-speed Northeast Corridor between Harold Interlocking in Sunnyside, Queens, and Shell Interlocking in New Rochelle, New York, within the New York metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawtooth Bridges</span> Pair of railroad viaducts in New Jersey; owned by Amtrak

The Sawtooth Bridges are a pair of railroad bridges on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) known individually as Amtrak Bridge No. 7.80 and Amtrak Bridge No. 7.96. They are located in the Meadowlands in Kearny, New Jersey, between Newark Penn Station and Secaucus Junction at a stretch where the rights-of-way of Amtrak, NJ Transit, PATH, and Conrail converge and re-align. The name refers to their appearance and the numbers refer to the milepoint (MP) from New York Penn Station. Originally built by the Pennsylvania Railroad, they are now owned and operated by Amtrak. They are slated for replacement as part of the Gateway Program, an infrastructure-improvement program along the NEC.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Amtrak - Hutchinson River Bridge". bridgehunter.com. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  2. ↑ Wai-Fah Chen, Lian Duan (1999). Bridge Engineering Handbook. CRC Press. pp. 21–3. ISBN   0849374340.
  3. 1 2 "Pelham Bay Bridge Replacement". Washington, D.C.: Northeast Corridor Commission. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Amtrak to Begin Major Bridge Project in New York" (PDF) (Press release). New York, NY: Amtrak. November 19, 2009. ATK-09-096.
  5. ↑ United States Coast Guard. Drawbridge Operation Regulations. "§117.793. Hutchinson River (Eastchester Creek)." Code of Federal Regulations, 33 CFR 117.793
  6. ↑ Steinemann, Jeremy (August 23, 2011). "A 21st Century NEC: The Top Four Failing Bridges that Must Be Replaced". New York, NY: Northeast Alliance for Rail. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  7. ↑ Schned, Daniel (January 2014). Getting Back on Track (PDF) (Report). New York, NY: Regional Plan Association. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 11, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Amtrak, Metro-North Reach Deal on Bronx Expansion Plans - New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News". WNYC. January 22, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Penn Station Access Project gets green light, will open West Side to Westchester commuters for first time". The Journal News. January 22, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Biden Administration, USDOT Announce Over $233 Million in Grants to Upgrade Intercity Passenger Rail Service". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). August 18, 2022.
  11. ↑ 2022 Northeast Corridor Project Inventory (PDF) (Report). FRA. November 2022. p. 11.
  12. ↑ Toll, Beth (June 5, 2023). "Amtrak Applies for $7.3 Billion in Federal Grants to Advance Northeast Corridor Infrastructure Upgrades". Amtrak Media. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Amtrak applies for federal grants to expand services". Railway Gazette International. June 7, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.