Livingston Avenue Railroad Bridge
| Livingston Avenue Bridge | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Coordinates | 42°39′16″N 73°44′30″W / 42.65431°N 73.741777°WCoordinates: 42°39′16″N 73°44′30″W / 42.65431°N 73.741777°W |
| Carries | Amtrak, CSX and CP Rail |
| Crosses | Hudson River |
| Locale | Albany and Rensselaer, New York |
| Other name(s) | North Bridge or Hudson River Bridge |
| Owner | CSX Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Pratt through truss with swing span |
| Total length | 1,272 feet (388 m) |
| Longest span | 259.9 feet (79.2 m) |
| No. of spans | 1 truss swing span, 4 truss spans, 4 girder spans |
| History | |
| Constructed by | New York Central Railroad |
| Fabrication by | American Bridge Company |
| Construction start | 1901 |
| Opened | 1902 |
 Livingston Ave Bridge
|
|
| References | |
| BridgeHunter.com | |
The Livingston Avenue Bridge is a railroad bridge over the Hudson River in New York connecting Albany and Rensselaer. The original structure was built in 1866 by the Hudson River Bridge Company but was replaced in 1901–02. A rotating swing bridge span allows large ships to proceed up the river.
The New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) has identified the bridge as a critical link in its Empire Corridor passenger rail line, and has initiated a study project for bridge rehabilitation or replacement.
The bridge was purchased from CSX in December 2012 as part of Amtrak's Empire Corridor lease. The lease grants Amtrak ownership and control over the bridge and adjoining 100 miles of track, extending east from Hoffmans, NY to Albany-Rensselaer station, then south to MP 75, just north of Poughkeepsie, NY. A small branch extends east from Albany-Rensselaer station down the Post-Road subdivision, where Amtrak's ownership terminates just south of the Interstate 90 Berkshire Spur overpass. The Livingston Avenue Bridge is most frequently used for east-west travel in New York, as well as freight trains of CSX and CP Rail. The bridge hosts an active railroad interlocking tower and Amtrak block operators staff the tower 24 hours a day. They are responsible for directing rail traffic around Amtrak's Rensselaer Terminal and nearby trackage as well as opening and closing the bridge. Due to the deteriorated condition of the bridge, trains cross one at a time at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h). DOT considers the swing bridge mechanism to be unreliable and the overall bridge design inadequate for current railroad operating standards. The bridge opens for ship traffic about 400 times per year.
The Hudson River Bridge Company was incorporated April 9, 1856. Work on the bridge was begun in April 1864. The earlier Green Island Bridge had opened to the north in Troy in 1835, but required the longer route of the Schenectady and Troy Railroad west from Troy. The new bridge, called the Hudson River Bridge, was to connect directly to the New York Central Railroad on the west (Albany) side of the bridge and to the Hudson River Railroad, Troy and Greenbush Railroad and Boston and Albany Railroad on the east (Rensselaer) side. The turntable bridge was 4800 feet (1500 m) long, with a clearance of 30 feet (9 m) from high water when closed.
...
Wikipedia