Harlem River Lift Bridge, Railway bridge in Manhattan, United States
The Harlem River Lift Bridge is a steel structure spanning the Harlem River that connects Manhattan and the Bronx. It features a vertical-lift mechanism that raises the span to allow river traffic to pass beneath.
This bridge opened in 1956, replacing two earlier structures from 1841 and 1897. It was built to handle growing rail traffic and increased river navigation demands.
The bridge is a busy transportation hub where thousands of people commute daily between the boroughs. It shapes the landscape and has become part of the daily rhythm for those traveling through the area.
The lift mechanism raises the bridge approximately 110 feet (33 meters) when larger vessels need to pass through. Best viewed from nearby vantage points along the riverbanks, as this is an active railroad bridge used regularly throughout the day.
The structure carries approximately 700 train crossings daily across three separate rail lines, making it one of the busiest railroad lift bridges in the country. This heavy volume is handled by the Metro-North Railroad system that maintains and operates the span.
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