The William Cullen Bryant Viaduct, historically known as the Roslyn Viaduct, is a
viaduct
A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...
that carries four lanes of
Northern Boulevard (NY 25A) over
Hempstead Harbor between the Incorporated Villages of
Flower Hill and
Roslyn, in
Nassau County, on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, in
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
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Film and television
* '' ...
, United States. It serves as a
bypass
Bypass may refer to:
* Bypass (road), a road that avoids a built-up area (not to be confused with passing lane)
* Flood bypass of a river
Science and technology Medicine
* Bypass surgery, a class of surgeries including for example:
** Heart bypas ...
of Roslyn's downtown. The original bridge opened in 1949 and was replaced in phases between 2005 and 2012.
History
Original bridge (1949–2012)
The original bridge was completed in 1949, and opened on October 21 of that year by Governor
Thomas E. Dewey
Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer, prosecutor, and politician who served as the 47th governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican candidate for president in 1944 and 1948: although ...
.
The four-lane bridge was built using a
pin-hanger design.
The construction and subsequent opening of the bridge eliminated the traffic bottleneck on Main Street and Old Northern Boulevard in the heart of Roslyn that had resulted from the increasing number of automobiles on the roads.
By the 1990s, the bridge was beginning to show its age. Advancements in bridge engineering and safety rendered the structure obsolete; New York stopped building bridges using the pin-hanger design in 1968.
Additionally, there were concerns regarding the bridge's structural integrity – especially after the
1983 Mianus River Bridge Disaster, in which a similarly designed bridge carrying
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...
in
Connecticut collapsed.
After careful consideration, officials ultimately decided to replace the bridge, with initial development for the project first taking place between 1992 and 1993.
Current bridge (2012–present)
In 2005, construction commenced on a replacement bridge, as the original one was in a state of disrepair, was structurally-obsolete, lacked shoulders, and exceeded its intended use life.
Given the lack of efficient detour routes, construction was carried out in phases; one side would remain open whilst the other was demolished and rebuilt. Three lanes would be in use at any given time, and their directions would be reversible; in the mornings, there would be two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane, and the afternoons/evenings would see two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane.
Construction was originally intended to be completed by 2007 - but numerous factors led to multiple delays, and the replacement bridge was finally completed in 2012.
The new bridge features many enhancements, including a shoulder lane, an improved walkway, and better drainage.
The new bridge is a total of 13 feet (4 Meters) wider than its predecessor.
The new bridge was built using precast concrete segments, and was the first bridge in the area to be built using this design method.
Dedication and re-naming, 2012
In 2012, the bridge was officially dedicated to and renamed after the late poet, journalist, and Roslyn resident,
William Cullen Bryant, by then-NY State Senator
Jack Martins, through a bill in the New York State Senate.
Bryant, who had purchased a home in Roslyn in 1843, was one of the most famous and influential residents in Roslyn's history.
See also
*
New York State Route 25A
*
Roslyn, New York
*
Flower Hill, New York
*
Hempstead Harbor
References
{{coord, 40.8038, -73.6510, type:landmark_region:US-NY, display=title
Roslyn, New York
Flower Hill, New York
Town of North Hempstead, New York
Bridges in Nassau County, New York
Road bridges in New York (state)
Transportation buildings and structures in Nassau County, New York