Bulkeley Bridge
| Bulkeley Bridge | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Coordinates | |
|
Morgan G. Bulkeley Bridge
|
|
 
|
|
| Location |
   I-84 / US 6 / US 44, Hartford and East Hartford
|
| Coordinates | 41°46′10″N 72°39′55″W / 41.76944°N 72.66528°WCoordinates: 41°46′10″N 72°39′55″W / 41.76944°N 72.66528°W |
| Built | 1908 |
| Architect | Graves, Edwin D., Wheelwright, Edmund M. |
| Architectural style | CLASSICAL REVIVAL |
| NRHP Reference # | 93001347 |
| Added to NRHP | 1993-12-10 |
| Carries |
I-84 / US 6 / US 44, pedestrians, and bicycles |
| Crosses | Connecticut River |
| Locale | Hartford, Connecticut |
| Official name | Morgan G. Bulkeley Bridge |
| Maintained by | ConnDOT |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | stone arch bridge |
| Total length | 1,075 feet (328 m) |
| Width | 110 feet (34 m) |
| Longest span | 119 feet (36 m) |
| Clearance below | 39 feet (12 m) |
| History | |
| Construction begin | 1903 |
| Construction end | 1908 |
| Opened | 1908 |
41°46′10″N 72°39′55″W / 41.76944°N 72.66528°W
The Bulkeley Bridge (also known as Hartford Bridge, Bridge No. 980A) is the oldest of three highway bridges over the Connecticut River in Hartford, Connecticut. A stone arch bridge composed of nine spans, the bridge carries Interstate 84, U.S. Route 6, and U.S. Route 44 across the river, connecting Hartford to East Hartford. As of 2005 the bridge carried an average daily traffic of 142,500 cars. The arches are mounted on stone piers, and vary in length from 68 feet (21 m) to 119 feet (36 m); the total length of the bridge is 1,192 feet (363 m).
Completed in 1908, the Bulkeley Bridge is the oldest bridge in the Hartford area and one of the oldest bridges still in use in the Interstate Highway System. It is also the largest and one of the last major stone arch bridges to be built in New England.
Due to its historical, architectural and engineering significance, the Bulkeley Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
The first substantial bridge across the Connecticut River at Hartford was the Hartford Toll Bridge, a two-lane covered bridge that opened in 1818. The 974 feet (297 m) span carried horse traffic, and in 1890 trolley lines were added, connecting Hartford to East Hartford and Glastonbury. On May 17, 1895, the bridge was destroyed in a fire. The flames started near the East Hartford end of the bridge, and within ten minutes had swept the entire tinder-dry structure. There had been much agitation for a new bridge, and the Hartford Courant reported a crowd of 20,000 spectators lined the banks of both sides of the river to watch the bridge burn.
...
Wikipedia