Hudson Valley Bridges: Crossings and Spans Over the Hudson River

Cross purposes: The Valley’s buzzing about the new TZB. But what about our other bridges?

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Newburgh-Beacon Bridge

The Newburgh-Beacon carries Interstate 84 over the river. Similar to the Tappan Zee, which Interstate 287 traverses, the Newburgh-Beacon’s capacity was originally underestimated. As the highway grew busier, the two-lane crossing quickly got snarled with lines of cars and trucks, so a second span was added 17 years later.

Officially named the Hamilton Fish Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, for New York’s 16th governor (he was also a U.S. Senator and Secretary of State), the span is the most used of the five by a long shot.

But that popularity comes with a cost: Wear and tear means the southern side is about to get an $80 million deck replacement makeover to extend its life by 40 years The three-year project will temporarily narrow it from three lanes to two.

• Type: truss
• Length: 7,855 feet, north span; 7,789 feet, south span
• Year opened: 1963; 1980
• Designer: Modjeski & Masters Engineering
• Main view: Putnam County hills
• Tolls: $1.50 cash; $1.25 E-ZPass
• Traffic: 24.7 million in 2011
• Pedestrian-friendliness: decent; walkway on the south span only
• Suicide prevention system: phones

Read on for more fun facts about your local bridges:

• Bear Mountain Bridge
• Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
• Mid-Hudson Bridge
• Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge
• Rip Van Winkle Bridge