Pleasure Beach Bridge, bridge in United States of America
Pleasure Beach Bridge is a movable bridge in Bridgeport, Connecticut, connecting the island of Pleasure Beach to the mainland. Built and completed in 1927, the structure is about 383 meters long and features a Warren through-truss design with a swing span that could pivot to allow boats to pass underneath while vehicles and pedestrians crossed above.
The bridge was completed in 1927 after the city approved building a movable crossing to the island in 1907. During the Great Depression, the city of Bridgeport took over control from the operating company and eliminated toll fees, making the bridge free for the community to use.
The name Pleasure Beach came from when the city of Bridgeport bought the island in 1919 and turned it into an amusement park. Visitors can still see how the place served as a gathering spot where people came together for music, entertainment, and social life.
The bridge was long used by pedestrians and vehicles to reach the island but was damaged by fire in summer 1996 and closed afterward. Today, visitors can reach the island by water taxi, a service that began running around 2013 as an alternative to crossing the bridge.
A fire destroyed the middle section of the bridge in 1996, rendering it permanently unusable and marking the end of an important local era. The operator's house still stands on the mainland side as a reminder of when the bridge was actively used.
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