The 5 Most Interesting Bridges in New York State
The Weather Channel recently named the most amazing bridge in each state. For New York they picked the Brooklyn Bridge. No offense intended NYC, but ho-hum. How unoriginal and uninspired a choice. There are so many fascinating bridges outside of the city. Here are the 5 most interesting bridges in New York State.
Upside Down Bridge
LockportTechnically the Falls Road Railroad Bridge, the crossing over the Erie Canal in the Niagara County town of Lockport appears to have the bridge truss built upside down. Buzzfeed actually named this bridge the "Weirdest Thing in New York."
Roebling Aqueduct
MinisinkBuilt in 1848 to carry boats over the Delaware River between New York and Pennsylvania, the historic Roebling Aqueduct bridge is now open to car traffic. One narrow lane is all the bridge can accommodate. The photo at the top of this article shows the bridge on the Pennsylvania side looking towards New York.
The Big Bridge
LockportThe second bridge from Lockport to make the list of the most interesting in New York is simply known as the Big Bridge. How big is it? The widest in New York state, the widest in North America and one of the widest in the world. The bridge carries a portion of Main Street (Route 31), a portion of Saxon Street, a portion of Cottage Street, AND a full parking log.
Pond Eddy Bridge
Pond EddyAlaska has a famous "Bridge to Nowhere." So does New York. The Pond Eddy Bridge connects New York Route 97 across the Delaware River to a small area of Pennsylvania known as Pond Eddy which is nothing more than two dead end roads. According to a Wikipedia article on the bridge, on the Pennsylvania side there are just over 20 homes, but there is no road connection to the rest of the state. All the residents who live on the PA side of the bridge must drive over to New York to connect to the rest of the world.
The current Pond Eddy bridge is old, narrow, rickety and covered with wood planks. When I visited around 2007, I wasn't sure how my car would make is across.
The historic bridge is set to be replaced in 2016.
Salisbury Center Covered Bridge
Salisbury CenterThere are approximately 30 covered bridges in New York State and the one in the Herkimer County hamlet of Salisbury Center gets our vote for the best. Built in 1875 and carrying traffic over Spruce Creek, a sign hanging over the bridge warns of a $1 fine for crossing the bridge at a pace "faster than a walk."