The Walden Low Bridge is the downstream of the two bridges over the

Wallkill River The Wallkill River, a tributary of the Hudson, drains Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, flowing from there generally northeasterly U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed Octo ...

Walden ''Walden'' (; first published in 1854 as ''Walden; or, Life in the Woods'') is a book by American transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. The text is a reflection upon the author's simple living in natural surroundings. The work is part ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. 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 The Walden Veterans' Memorial Bridge, sometimes referred as the Walden High Bridge,Newman, Marc; ''Images of America: Walden and Maybrook'', Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, SC, 2001, , 16. Retrieved online via Google Book Search aJune 24, 2007 ...

). It is a steel

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 ...

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 most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

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 A hypermarket (sometimes called a hyperstore, supercentre or superstore) is a big-box store combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including ...

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 New York State Route 52 (NY 52) is a state highway in the southeastern part of the state. It generally runs from west to east through five counties, beginning at the New York–Pennsylvania border, Pennsylvania state line in the Delawa ...

was temporarily rerouted onto Oak Street, and

traffic light Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa are signalling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traf ...

s were erected for the duration at the 52/Oak Street junction and the Thruway entrance, causing some congestion at rush hours.Sausa, Bianca; May 24, 2003;
Route 52 bridge closure could cause problems
; ''

Times-Herald Record The ''Times Herald-Record'', often referred to as ''The Record'' or ''Middletown Record'' in its coverage area, is a daily newspaper published in Middletown, New York, covering the northwest suburbs of New York City. It covers Orange, Sullivan ...

''; retrieved June 24, 2007. Like its counterpart, the Low Bridge is just downstream from a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

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.

References

{{Crossings navbox , structure = Bridges , place =

, bridge = Walden Low Bridge , bridge signs = Oak Street , upstream =

, upstream signs = , downstream = Bruyn Turnpike Bridge , downstream signs = Ulster County Route 18 Bridges in Orange County, New York Bridges completed in 1987 Continuous truss bridges in the United States Road bridges in New York (state) 1987 establishments in New York (state) Bridges over the Wallkill River Steel bridges in the United States