AuSable Chasm Bridge

The AuSable Chasm Bridge is a steel arch bridge spanning the AuSable River and connecting two counties in upstate New York. The structure uses a single large arch as its main span, supported by concrete approach ramps on both sides to carry traffic across the river at a height that allows boats to pass below.

Construction took place in the early 1930s when engineer C.C. MacCloskey and builder Burr M. Stark created this new structure to replace an earlier railroad crossing at the site. This period marked the shift from rail to automobile transportation as the primary way people moved through the region.

The bridge connects communities on both sides of the river and serves as a gateway to exploring the dramatic AuSable Chasm area. Its role in the valley reflects how local infrastructure evolved to serve both daily travel and visitors seeking to experience this natural landscape.

The bridge carries daily traffic on US Route 9 with a standard roadway width and is in good condition for regular through traffic. Visitors exploring the AuSable Chasm area use this crossing and can view the structure and surrounding canyon from nearby overlooks.

The bridge earned recognition on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of a larger collection documenting bridges across the AuSable River Valley. Its design combines stone-faced approach ramps with the steel arch, reflecting engineering practices that treated functional structures as visual elements in the landscape.