Bear Mountain Bridge, Suspension bridge in Hudson Valley, United States
Bear Mountain Bridge is a suspension bridge crossing the Hudson River between Cortlandt and Stony Point in the Hudson Valley, with a total length of 687 meters. The steel structure rests on two towers and carries a concrete deck that sweeps in a wide arc over the water below.
The crossing opened in November 1924 and held the title of longest suspension bridge in the world until the Benjamin Franklin Bridge surpassed it soon after. Private investors financed the construction, recovering costs through toll revenue collected from motorists.
The Appalachian Trail leads hikers over this crossing, making it one of the few places where the long-distance footpath moves from forest to pavement over a river. Walkers often pause here to watch boats below before continuing north or south along the eastern mountain range.
Vehicles and pedestrians share the 15-meter-wide deck, with walkers using narrow sidewalks along the outer edges. The toll booth for northbound traffic sits at the Rockland County end of the crossing.
The centerline of the structure stands 110 meters above the water surface, allowing tall-masted vessels to pass beneath. The central span of 497 meters hangs from steel cables anchored on both shores of the river.
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