Explore Our Bridges
The following is an excerpt from Kathryn Burke’s book, Bridges of the Mid-Hudson Valley (2020):
“The popularity of the automobile necessitated the building of the bridges. The Hudson River, which had been a main transportation thoroughfare for so many years for freight and people, had become a barrier, and it must be crossed. Ferries, in some locations in use for hundreds of years, were limited to seasonal use and could not run when the ice formed on the river. Long lines of cars waiting to cross gave evidence of the inefficiency of ferry service. Each community in its time was provided its crossing. The bridges in existence now, from the Bear Mountain in the south to the Rip Van Winkle in the north, with careful maintenance of the bridge authority, will be available for use for time to come…
In many ways, these bridges were feats of engineering – the firsts of their time. World-renowned engineers, like Ralph Modjeski and D.B. Steinman, designed and oversaw the building of these bridges. Most motorists drive across these structures with no idea of the history behind them.”
Explore Our Bridges
The Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge was opened in 1889 and connected trains between New England and the western portions of the country until a devastating fire in 1974 brought rail service at this bridge to an end. After sitting vacant for over three decades, the bridge was reborn as the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park in 2009, instantly becoming one of the area’s most popular attractions. Since 2010, the Bridge Authority has maintained the bridge structure. The park is operated by New York State Parks, while the Walkway nonprofit organization helps fundraise and advocate for the park.
Special Features
Bridge Lights
18,726 feet of cables, 27,000 red, green and blue LEDs and 16.7 million colors all with a highly energy efficient system make the Mid-Hudson Bridge Lights one of the unique features of the Hudson Valley.
Local residents and nonprofit organizations can request the bridge to be lit for a special occasion. Email us for more info.
NOTE: As of early 2024, some of our necklace light fixtures are not working. Lighting requests are not being accepted at this time. The Bridge Authority is working diligently with our contractor to resolve this issue so that the necklace lights can illuminate the local skyline once again. Thank you for your patience.
Bridge Music
Composer Joseph Bertolozzi's 10-piece original composition uses the Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge as its only musical instrument. The public sound art installation includes short-range radio broadcasts from riverfront parks on both sides of the bridge (95.3 FM) and play-on-demand listening stations at each tower on the north sidewalk of the bridge. Bridge Music has received world-wide recognition and NYSBA is pleased to host this unique display of Hudson Valley culture.
Historic Bridges of the Hudson Valley
First formed in 2012, Historic Bridges of the Hudson Valley (HBHV) promotes cultural awareness and general knowledge of Hudson Valley bridge history and the art of civil engineering and bridge science. HBHV also serves as the curator of historical artifacts of the spans operated by the New York State Bridge Authority.
Tolls today are actually lower, in real dollars, than they were in 1933 when the Authority began operations.