Livingston Avenue Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Livingston Avenue Bridge is a railroad bridge
over the Hudson River
in New York
connecting Albany
and Rensselaer
. The original structure was built in 1866 by the Hudson River Bridge Company but was replaced in 1901. A rotating swing bridge
, it still operates to allow large ships to proceed up the Hudson River. It is owned by CSX, and in addition to freight use it is used by Amtrak
for east-west travel in New York. The cost to replace the bridge was estimated at $50 million in 1998. The bridge also hosts an active railroad interlocking tower and the block operator on duty is responsible for directing rail traffic around Amtrak's Rensselaer terminal as well as opening and closing the bridge.
had opened to the north in Troy
in 1835, but required the longer route of the Schenectady and Troy Railroad
west from Troy. The new bridge, called the Hudson River Bridge, was to connect directly to the New York Central Railroad on the west (Albany) side of the bridge and to the Hudson River Railroad, Troy and Greenbush Railroad and Boston and Albany Railroad on the east (Rensselaer) side. The turntable bridge was 4800 feet (1500 m) long, with a clearance of 30 feet (9 m) from high water when closed.
The first engine, the Augustus Schell, passed over the bridge on February 18, 1866. Passenger trains started using it on February 22. After the Maiden Lane Bridge was constructed a bit further south, the Hudson River Bridge was used mostly for freight trains and the few passenger trains that passed by Albany but did not need to stop there. The Maiden Lane Bridge was often referred to as the "South Bridge" and the Hudson River Bridge as the "North Bridge". In the winter of 1866, once travel patterns were set, Cornelius Vanderbilt
, owner of the Hudson River Railroad, suddenly refused to allow any transfers from the New York Central. The New York Central board gave in, and in 1867 Vanderbilt acquired the company, and in 1869 merged it with the Hudson River Railroad to form the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. This gave the New York Central a majority of ownership in the company; in 1900 the New York Central leased the Boston and Albany.
The current bridge was constructed in 1901 and was named the Livingston Avenue Bridge. At the time the original Hudson River Bridge was constructed Livingston Avenue had been named Lumber Street for it led to the Albany Lumber District
.
A project is currently underway to rehabilitate the structure. One matter of contention is whether the project will restore the closed public walkway over the bridge. Doing so would greatly improve pedestrian access between Albany and Rensselaer, but the bridge owner, CSX, is citing safety concerns.
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
over the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
connecting Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
and Rensselaer
Rensselaer, New York
Rensselaer is a city in Rensselaer County, New York, United States, and is located on the Hudson River directly opposite Albany. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,392; in 1920, it was 10,832. The name is from Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original landowner of the region in New...
. The original structure was built in 1866 by the Hudson River Bridge Company but was replaced in 1901. A rotating swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
, it still operates to allow large ships to proceed up the Hudson River. It is owned by CSX, and in addition to freight use it is used by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
for east-west travel in New York. The cost to replace the bridge was estimated at $50 million in 1998. The bridge also hosts an active railroad interlocking tower and the block operator on duty is responsible for directing rail traffic around Amtrak's Rensselaer terminal as well as opening and closing the bridge.
History
The Hudson River Bridge Company was incorporated April 9, 1856. Work on the bridge was begun in April 1864. The earlier Green Island BridgeGreen Island Bridge
The Green Island Bridge crosses the Hudson River in New York, connecting Green Island with Troy. It opened September 12, 1981.-History:The original Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad bridge was a wood-truss covered bridge built in 1832. On May 10, 1862 it caught fire from the sparks of a passing...
had opened to the north in Troy
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
in 1835, but required the longer route of the Schenectady and Troy Railroad
Schenectady and Troy Railroad
The Schenectady and Troy Railroad was incorporated May 21, 1836. The stock was divided into five hundred shares at one hundred dollars each. The building of the road began in 1841, and trains began running from Schenectady to Troy, New York in the fall of 1841 . It was constructed by the city of...
west from Troy. The new bridge, called the Hudson River Bridge, was to connect directly to the New York Central Railroad on the west (Albany) side of the bridge and to the Hudson River Railroad, Troy and Greenbush Railroad and Boston and Albany Railroad on the east (Rensselaer) side. The turntable bridge was 4800 feet (1500 m) long, with a clearance of 30 feet (9 m) from high water when closed.
The first engine, the Augustus Schell, passed over the bridge on February 18, 1866. Passenger trains started using it on February 22. After the Maiden Lane Bridge was constructed a bit further south, the Hudson River Bridge was used mostly for freight trains and the few passenger trains that passed by Albany but did not need to stop there. The Maiden Lane Bridge was often referred to as the "South Bridge" and the Hudson River Bridge as the "North Bridge". In the winter of 1866, once travel patterns were set, Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt , also known by the sobriquet Commodore, was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads. He was also the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family and one of the richest Americans in history...
, owner of the Hudson River Railroad, suddenly refused to allow any transfers from the New York Central. The New York Central board gave in, and in 1867 Vanderbilt acquired the company, and in 1869 merged it with the Hudson River Railroad to form the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. This gave the New York Central a majority of ownership in the company; in 1900 the New York Central leased the Boston and Albany.
The current bridge was constructed in 1901 and was named the Livingston Avenue Bridge. At the time the original Hudson River Bridge was constructed Livingston Avenue had been named Lumber Street for it led to the Albany Lumber District
Albany Lumber District
The lumber district of Albany, New York was relatively small in the 1830s with around six wholesale lumber merchants, but by the 1870s Albany was the largest lumber district in the United States by value, though by that time it had recently been outstripped in feet sold by Chicago...
.
A project is currently underway to rehabilitate the structure. One matter of contention is whether the project will restore the closed public walkway over the bridge. Doing so would greatly improve pedestrian access between Albany and Rensselaer, but the bridge owner, CSX, is citing safety concerns.
Sources
- The Albany Railroad Bridge, Harper's WeeklyHarper's WeeklyHarper's Weekly was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor...
1866 - The Bridge at Albany, New York Times February 24, 1866, page 1