Manhasset Viaduct

Manhasset Viaduct is a steel railway bridge that spans roughly 210 meters across Manhasset Bay, connecting the Village of Thomaston with the area of Manhasset. The structure carries tracks of the Port Washington Branch of the Long Island Rail Road above local roads and water.

The structure was built in 1898 from steel by the King Bridge Company and Carnegie Steel Company to extend rail service toward Port Washington. It arose during a period when Long Island was expanding rapidly and needed new transportation links.

The bridge shaped how people and goods moved across Long Island when railroads were the primary connection between communities. It remains a symbol of the industrial era when trains drove local growth.

The viaduct is best viewed from nearby streets like East Shore Road or Bayview Avenue, where you can see it from ground level. Walking or driving beneath it offers the clearest perspective on its scale and steel structure.

At about 25 meters above the water, this is the highest point on the entire Long Island Rail Road system. This unusual height was necessary to allow ships to pass underneath, making it a significant engineering challenge when built.

Location: Nassau County

GPS coordinates: 40.79252,-73.71008

Latest update: December 13, 2025 12:42