Walden Low Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Walden Low Bridge is the downstream of the two bridges over the Wallkill River
in Walden
, New York
, USA. It gets its name from being lower to the river than the Walden High Bridge a short distance upstream (replaced in 2005 by the new Walden Veterans' Memorial Bridge
). It is a steel continuous truss bridge
built in 1987, the latest in a series of bridges at that location that have been in place for at least a century. At 349 feet (105.7 m) in length, it is the longest bridge over the river in Orange County
that carries a surface road.
Traffic on the bridge is low since it carries Oak Street, a local road, primarily residential, within the village. It is important to traffic circulation within Walden since its eastern approach is also the main entrance to the popular Thruway Market hypermarket
complex. Drivers coming into Walden from the west or southwest also use it to cross the Wallkill and bypass downtown Walden via Thruway's parking lot, back entrance and Albany Avenue to NY 208
northbound. During the construction of the new bridge, NY 52
was temporarily rerouted onto Oak Street, and traffic light
s were erected for the duration at the 52/Oak Street junction and the Thruway entrance, causing some congestion at rush hours.
Like its counterpart, the Low Bridge is just downstream from a dam
built to harness the river's power for industrial uses in the late 19th century. The shallows just below it are a popular place for anglers
during the state fishing season.
Wallkill River
The Wallkill River, a tributary of the Hudson, drains Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, flowing from there generally northeasterly to Rondout Creek in New York, near Rosendale, with the combined flows reaching the Hudson at Kingston....
in Walden
Walden, New York
Walden is the largest of three villages of the Town of Montgomery in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 6,978 at the 2010 census. It has the ZIP Code 12586 and the 778 telephone exchange within the 845 area code...
, 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...
, USA. It gets its name from being lower to the river than the Walden High Bridge a short distance upstream (replaced in 2005 by the new Walden Veterans' Memorial Bridge
Walden Veterans' Memorial Bridge
The Walden Veterans' Memorial Bridge, sometimes referred as the Walden High Bridge, from its predecessor, carries NY 52 over the Wallkill River in the Orange County village of Walden, New York, USA...
). It is a steel continuous truss bridge
Continuous truss bridge
A continuous truss bridge is a truss bridge which extends without hinges or joints across three or more supports. A continuous truss bridge may use less material than a series of simple trusses because a continuous truss distributes live loads across all the spans; in a series of simple trusses,...
built in 1987, the latest in a series of bridges at that location that have been in place for at least a century. At 349 feet (105.7 m) in length, it is the longest bridge over the river in Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
that carries a surface road.
Traffic on the bridge is low since it carries Oak Street, a local road, primarily residential, within the village. It is important to traffic circulation within Walden since its eastern approach is also the main entrance to the popular Thruway Market hypermarket
Hypermarket
In commerce, a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full groceries lines and general merchandise...
complex. Drivers coming into Walden from the west or southwest also use it to cross the Wallkill and bypass downtown Walden via Thruway's parking lot, back entrance and Albany Avenue to NY 208
New York State Route 208
New York State Route 208 is a state highway located in southern New York in the United States. The southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 17M in the Orange County village of Monroe...
northbound. During the construction of the new bridge, NY 52
New York State Route 52
New York State Route 52 is a long state highway in the southeastern part of New York in the United States. It generally runs from west to east, beginning at the Pennsylvania state line in the Delaware River near Narrowsburg, crossing the Hudson River on the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, and ending...
was temporarily rerouted onto Oak Street, and traffic light
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
s were erected for the duration at the 52/Oak Street junction and the Thruway entrance, causing some congestion at rush hours.
Like its counterpart, the Low Bridge is just downstream from a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
built to harness the river's power for industrial uses in the late 19th century. The shallows just below it are a popular place for anglers
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
during the state fishing season.