Thames River Railroad Bridge on:
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Amtrak's Thames River Bridge spans from
The bridge opens for marine traffic more than four times per day and serves up to 36 passenger trains and two freight trains per day. The bridge sits above mean high water (MHW), and the vertical lift span opens to above MHW and provides of horizontal clearance.
It is one of eight moveable bridges on the
New London
New London may refer to:
Places United States
*New London, Alabama
*New London, Connecticut
*New London, Indiana
*New London, Iowa
* New London, Maryland
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*New London, New Hampshire, a New England town
* ...
to Groton, Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
, United States, crossing Connecticut's Thames River
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
.
Design and history
The bridge was originally aStrauss
Strauss, Strauß or Straus is a common Germanic surname. Outside Germany and Austria ''Strauß'' is always spelled ''Strauss'' (the letter " ß" is not used in the German-speaking part of Switzerland). In classical music, "Strauss" usually ref ...
heel-trunnion Warren through-truss bascule
Bascule may refer to:
* Bascule bridge, a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span in providing clearance for boat traffic
* Bascule (horse), the arc a horse's body takes as it goes over a jump
* Bascule light, a sma ...
design, built in 1919. It was built by the American Bridge Company
The American Bridge Company is a heavy/civil construction firm that specializes in building and renovating bridges and other large, complex structures. Founded in 1900, the company is headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pitts ...
for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of ...
, replacing a span dating from 1889. In June 2008, the bridge underwent replacement which included the span's conversion from a bascule to a vertical-lift mechanism.
As built in 1919, the bridge's abutments and piers were designed to carry a second set of double-track spans, in the event that an expansion to four tracks was ever undertaken at this location by the New Haven Railroad (it never was).
Operation
The bridge opens for marine traffic more than four times per day and serves up to 36 passenger trains and two freight trains per day. The bridge sits above mean high water (MHW), and the vertical lift span opens to above MHW and provides of horizontal clearance.
It is one of eight moveable bridges on the Northeast Corridor
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 through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
through Connecticut surveyed in one multiple-property study in 1986.
See also
*List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Connecticut
This is a list of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in the U.S. state of Connecticut.
Bridges
See also
* List of bridges of the Merritt Parkway
*List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecti ...
References
External links
* *{{HAER , survey=CT-25 , id=ct0395 , title=New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, Groton Bridge, Spanning Thames River between New London & Groton, New London, New London County, CT , photos=24 , data=10 , cap=2 Railroad bridges in Connecticut Amtrak bridges Buildings and structures in Groton, Connecticut Buildings and structures in New London, Connecticut Historic American Engineering Record in Connecticut Bridges completed in 1919 Bridges in New London County, Connecticut New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad bridges Vertical lift bridges in the United States Bridges over the Thames River (Connecticut) Steel bridges in the United States Warren truss bridges in the United States 1919 establishments in Connecticut