Hell Gate Bridge

Hell Gate Bridge is a railway crossing over the East River between Queens and The Bronx, measuring 310 meters (about 1000 feet) long and rising 93 meters (around 305 feet) high. The steel structure carries four parallel tracks for passenger and freight service along the Northeast Corridor route.

The crossing opened on March 9, 1917, as the longest steel arch span in the world at that time. Construction created the first continuous rail link between New York and New England, eliminating the need for trains to transfer onto ferries.

The name comes from Hellegat, a dangerous strait where many ships once wrecked before blasting work in the 1800s made passage safer. Today passenger and freight trains cross above while boats move through calmer water below, linking neighborhoods on either side.

The structure is visible from many waterfront points in Astoria and Randalls Island, especially during sunrise or sunset over the water. Only rail traffic crosses it, but walkers find nearby parks with clear views of the arch above the river.

German saboteurs planned to destroy the crossing during World War II to cripple rail traffic along the East Coast. Today around 40 Amtrak trains pass through daily, carrying thousands of travelers between Boston and Washington.

Location: Queens

Location: The Bronx

Location: Manhattan

Inception: September 30, 1916

Height: 93 m

Length: 310 m

Longest Span: 310 m

GPS coordinates: 40.78250,-73.92194

Latest update: December 13, 2025 16:07