Donald and Morris Goodkind Bridges
Encyclopedia
The Donald and Morris Goodkind Bridges are a pair of bridges on U.S. Route 1
in the U.S. state
of New Jersey
spanning the Raritan River
. The bridges connect Edison
on the north with New Brunswick
on the south.
The Donald Goodkind bridge, a steel span bridge built in 1974, carries southbound traffic. It was named after architect and engineer Donald Goodkind in 2004. The northbound span, a concrete arch bridge
, is named after Donald's father, Morris Goodkind and was completed in 1929, reflecting the Art Deco
styling of the time, and was officially renamed from College Bridge to The Morris Goodkind Bridge as of April 25, 1969. Both father and son were engineers for the New Jersey Department of Transportation
, with each responsible for designing the bridge that now bears his name.
In the 1983 musical film Eddie and the Cruisers
, early rock band leader Eddie Wilson was believed to have drowned when his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
went off the Morris Goodkind Bridge on March 15, 1964.
In The Sopranos
episode "Nobody Knows Anything," Detective Vin Markazian leaps to his death from the Donald Goodkind Bridge.
U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey
U.S. Route 1 is a United States highway which parallels the East Coast of the United States, running from Key West, Florida in the south to Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border in the north. Of the entire length of the route, of it runs through New Jersey...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
spanning the Raritan River
Raritan River
The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...
. The bridges connect Edison
Edison, New Jersey
Edison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township and Woodbridge Township...
on the north with New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
on the south.
The Donald Goodkind bridge, a steel span bridge built in 1974, carries southbound traffic. It was named after architect and engineer Donald Goodkind in 2004. The northbound span, a concrete arch bridge
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
, is named after Donald's father, Morris Goodkind and was completed in 1929, reflecting the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
styling of the time, and was officially renamed from College Bridge to The Morris Goodkind Bridge as of April 25, 1969. Both father and son were engineers for the New Jersey Department of Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
, with each responsible for designing the bridge that now bears his name.
In the 1983 musical film Eddie and the Cruisers
Eddie and the Cruisers
Eddie and the Cruisers is a 1983 American film directed by Martin Davidson with the screenplay written by the director and Arlene Davidson, based on the novel by P. F. Kluge...
, early rock band leader Eddie Wilson was believed to have drowned when his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
Chevrolet Bel Air
The Chevrolet Bel Air is a full-size automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1950–1975 model years. Hardtops in the Chevrolet Deluxe Styleline model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950–1952, but it was not a distinct series of its own until...
went off the Morris Goodkind Bridge on March 15, 1964.
In The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
episode "Nobody Knows Anything," Detective Vin Markazian leaps to his death from the Donald Goodkind Bridge.