Saturday, May 8, 2010

Bridge of the Week #14: Pelham Bridge


This week's bridge is the Pelham Bridge, along the Pelham Parkway in the Bronx as it crosses the Hutchinson River's mouth into Eastchester Bay. It is a twin-leaf bascule drawbridge that carries two lanes of traffic in each direction and a sidewalk on the east-southeast side. It's total length is 891 feet with a main span of 80 feet. Construction began in 1906 and it was opened to traffic in 1908 before it was completed with its towers and lift mechanisms, which didn't happen until 1909. The city's DOT web site says that it's by far the city's busiest drawbridge, but I think that's referring to water traffic, and the number of times it's opened, rather than road traffic.

The bridge connects two areas of Pelham Bay Park and is a nice area to run, or bike, although the sidewalk can be narrow to share with bikes. The south end leads to the main part of the Bronx, and the Pelham Parkway has a nice paved path to run on. The north end joins with a pathway that goes on to City Island and Orchard Beach, and another that follows Shore Road towards Pelham Manor and New Rochelle in Westchester County.

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