Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge
Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Main other{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox bridge with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|mapframe_args=y| also_known_as | alt | aqueduct_name | architect | begin | below | bridge_name | builder | built | capacity | caption | carries | child | clearance | clearance_above | clearance_below | closed | collapsed | complete | contracted_designer | coord_format | coordinates | cost | crosses | dedicated | demolished | depth | design | designer | destroyed | diameter | downstream | electrification | embed | embedded | ends | engineering | extra | fabricator | fetchwikidata | first_diameter | first_length | followed | gauge | height | heritage | id | id_type | image | image_caption | image_size | image_upright | inaugurated | lanes | length | life | load | locale | location | mainspan | maint | maintained | material | material1 | material2 | name | named_for | native_name | native_name_lang | notrack | num_track | number_spans | official_name | onlysourced | open | opened | opening | os_grid_reference | other_name | owner | passable | piers_in_water | pierswater | preceded | qid | rebuilt | references | replaced_by | replaces | second_diameter | second_length | spans | starts | structure_gauge | third_diameter | third_length | toll | towpath | track_gauge | traffic | traversable | upstream | website | width | winner }}Template:Main other The Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge (originally and often referred to as the Marine Parkway Bridge) is a vertical-lift bridge in New York City, New York, that crosses Rockaway Inlet. The bridge, which opened on July 3, 1937, connects the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, with Flatbush Avenue to Floyd Bennett Field, Belt Parkway, and the Marine Park neighborhood in Brooklyn. The bridge is designated as New York State Route 901B, an unsigned reference route.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The center span is Template:Convert long and is normally Template:Convert above the water but can be lifted to a height of Template:Convert above water level. With its distinctive twin towers (which house the vertical-lift machinery), the bridge has become an iconic landmark and symbol of the Rockaways.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The bridge is owned by the City of New York and operated by the MTA Bridges and Tunnels, an affiliate agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The operation of this bridge includes the maintenance of the Marine Parkway from the toll plaza to Jacob Riis Park. Though a city-owned and operated bridge, it connects Floyd Bennett Field and Jacob Riis Park, which are both part of the National Park System's Gateway National Recreation Area.<ref name=":2"/>
History
Construction and opening
In February 1934, the New York State Assembly introduced a bill to build a $10 million bridge connecting Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn to the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses wanted the bridge to connect Marine Park in Brooklyn and Jacob Riis Park in Queens, two of the parks that he was developing.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> The assembly authorized the creation of the Marine Parkway Authority, which was tasked with developing the bridge, in March.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Moses was named as the only member of the authority.<ref name=":0" /> The next month, New York Governor Herbert H. Lehman approved the Assembly bill.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Marine Parkway Bridge was to be constructed using Public Works Administration funds.<ref name=":0" /> The United States Department of War approved the Marine Parkway Authority's request to construct a bridge over Rockaway Inlet in December 1935, although some members of the War Department preferred a tunnel under the inlet so as to not impede marine traffic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In order to fund the bridge's construction the Marine Parkway Authority authorized the issuance of $6 million worth of bonds that would mature in 25 years. The bridge would also collect tolls from drivers to fund part of the rest of the costs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Marine Parkway Bridge was developed in conjunction with other road infrastructure projects in New York City, such as the Triborough Bridge, Henry Hudson Parkway, Belt Parkway, and Grand Central Parkway.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It would also be a part of a new greenbelt of parks that included Jacob Riis Park.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The bridge was to be built near Barren Island, an island on the Brooklyn side that housed 90 people from the former Barren Island community. In April 1936. The community was evicted so that the Marine Parkway Authority could place Template:Convert of landfill to build a landing for the bridge,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Marine Parkway Authority opened a bidding competition for the construction of the Marine Parkway Bridge in June 1936.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Eight bids had been submitted by the time the bidding process was completed in October 1936.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The crossing's principal designer was David B. Steinman,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=nysdot/>Template:Rp with Richard S. M. Lee<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Shortridge Hardesty as assistant designers,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Emil Praeger as Chief Engineer.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The American Bridge Company ultimately ended up constructing the bridge<ref name=":4" /> since it had submitted the lowest bid, at just over $2.1 million.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Marine Parkway Bridge was supposed to be completed in two years,<ref name=Wave-20th-Birthday-1957/> but the construction process was accelerated because the city wanted the bridge to be completed in time to accommodate ferry traffic in summer 1937.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By January 1937, there was significant progress on the Marine Parkway Bridge's construction, as the main span had been floated into place on January 13.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite news</ref> The last section of the bridge was installed on May 26, 1937,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the toll bridge opened on July 3, 1937.<ref name=":2" /> A ceremonial opening had been scheduled for 10:30 AM that day, but the bridge was opened 15 minutes early in order to allow fire trucks to combat a five-alarm fire near the Rockaways' Playland amusement park in Rockaway Beach.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the time, the Template:Convert span was the longest vertical-lift vehicular span in the world.<ref name=nysdot/>Template:Rp<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> Green Bus Lines extended its Rockaway route (the current Q35 bus) across the bridge to Flatbush on the day of the bridge's opening.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The bridge's opening spurred a wave of real-estate sales in Flatbush.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, it also increased the amount of vehicular traffic to the Rockaways, which already had a severe traffic congestion problem.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Later years
The bridge saw 1.7 million vehicles in 1938, its first full year of operation.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref> By 1940, the Marine Parkway Bridge had recorded 4 million crossings.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following the 1940 merger of the Marine Parkway Authority and Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, the operation of the bridge fell to the latter.<ref name=nysdot>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Rp<ref name="MTA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On the bridge's 20th anniversary, The Wave of Long Island noted that 80 million vehicles had crossed the bridge since opening.<ref name=Wave-20th-Birthday-1957>Template:Cite news</ref>
On April 4, 1978,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the bridge connecting Brooklyn and Queens was renamed for Gil Hodges, the former championship-winning first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers who later won a World Series as the manager of the Queens-based New York Mets.<ref name=MTA/> It was believed to be the first bridge to be named for a major sports figure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
From 1999 to 2001, the bridge received a renovation. The four lanes were widened by placing the pedestrian walkway on the outside of the superstructure. The existing steel-grated roadway deck on the lift span was replaced with a new steel grating. A Jersey barrier was also installed to separate opposing traffic flows.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, the elevators and electrical systems in the two towers were replaced, and new variable message signs and traffic control devices were installed on the bridge, approach roadways, and toll plaza.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The walkway on the bridge was closed temporarily so the roadway could be widened.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Part of the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 in 2001 was filmed from a tollbooth camera on this bridge.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Description
The Marine Parkway Bridge carries four motor traffic lanes, and a footpath on the western edge. Originally, the bridge only had two lanes, or one in each direction.<ref name=":3" /> The entirety of the bridge, including approaches, is Template:Convert long.<ref name=nysdot/>Template:Rp The main part of the Marine Parkway Bridge consists of three spans with an aggregate length of Template:Convert.<ref name=":1" /> The center span is 540 feet long,<ref name=":1" /> weighs 3,600 tons,<ref name=":5" /> and is located Template:Convert above water level in the bridge's "closed" position. When the Marine Parkway Bridge is "open", the center span can be raised to a height of Template:Convert to allow vessels to pass beneath the roadway.<ref name=Wave-20th-Birthday-1957/> The bridge was raised 157 times in 2006.<ref name=":2" /> The curled tops of the towers were designed to give the bridge a whimsical aspect.<ref name="MTA"/>
Tolls
Template:As of, drivers pay $5.60 per car or $4.71 per motorcycle for tolls by mail/non-NYCSC E-Z Pass. E-ZPass users with transponders issued by the New York E‑ZPass Customer Service Center pay $2.60 per car or $2.17 per motorcycle. Mid-Tier NYCSC E-Z Pass users pay $4.11 per car or $3.46 per motorcycle. All E-ZPass users with transponders not issued by the New York E-ZPass CSC will be required to pay Toll-by-mail rates.<ref name=car-toll-rates>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
When the bridge opened, passenger automobiles were charged a toll of 15 cents. When the Cross Bay Bridge was opened in 1939, the toll for passenger cars and motorcycles was lowered to 10 cents to match that of the Cross Bay Bridge. Tolls for all other vehicle classes remained as before.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since 1993, residents of the Rockaways have received discounts on tolls for the Marine Parkway Bridge and Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The tollbooths for the Marine Parkway Bridge were configured to collect tolls electronically from E-ZPass transponders in 1996.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Open-road cashless tolling began on April 30, 2017. The tollbooths were dismantled, and drivers are no longer able to pay cash at the bridge. Instead, cameras and E-ZPass readers are mounted on new overhead gantries manufactured by TransCore<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> near where the booths were located.<ref name="Siff 2016" /><ref name="WABC 2016" /> A vehicle without E-ZPass has a picture taken of its license plate and a bill for the toll is mailed to its owner.<ref name="MTA cashless">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> For E-ZPass users, sensors detect their transponders wirelessly.<ref name="Siff 2016">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="WABC 2016">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="MTA cashless" /> Residents with leftover bridge tokens will be eligible to redeem their tokens for a refund.<ref name="Siff 2016"/><ref name="WABC 2016"/>
Incidents
One person was killed in a three-car accident on the bridge on June 3, 1951.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Another fatal accident on the bridge on July 14, 1963, killed two and injured seven.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On April 10, 1957, a gate for the Marine Parkway Bridge's drawbridge span was being lowered when it hit a bus, injuring four passengers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On November 24, 2014, the bridge experienced a power failure while it was raised to let a boat pass. It remained stuck in the raised position for about six hours before technicians were able to lower it.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
See also
References
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- Vertical lift bridges in New York City
- Toll bridges in New York City
- Bridges completed in 1937
- Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority
- Transportation in Rockaway, Queens
- Bridges in Queens, New York
- Road bridges in New York City
- Bridges in Brooklyn
- Pedestrian bridges in New York City
- Steel bridges in the United States