Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge

Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge
Official name Upper Bay Bridge[1]
Other name(s) Bridge K072[2]
Lehigh Valley Drawbridge
Carries North Jersey Shared Assets
Crosses Newark Bay
Locale Newark and Bayonne
New Jersey
Design Vertical lift
Total length 3,044 ft (928 m)[3]
Vertical clearance 35-39 feet[4]
Opened 1930

The Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge is a vertical lift bridge spanning the Newark Bay in northeastern New Jersey. It is used by CSX Transportation travelling through the North Jersey Shared Assets Area of the United States rail network along the National Docks Secondary line. The bridge is just north and parallel to the New Jersey Turnpike's Newark Bay Bridge. A notable train using the bridge is the Juice Train, which originates in Florida.

The western end of the bridge is near Oak Island Yard north of Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal and Newark International Airport in an industrial area of Ironbound Newark. Its eastern end is in Bayonne, where rail lines continue east across Bergen Hill to maritime, industrial, distribution complexes at Port Jersey, Greenville Yards, Constable Hook, and others along the shores of the Upper New York Bay and Kill Van Kull. The New York New Jersey Rail LLC operates a carfloat at this end with transfers to Bush Terminal Yard at the former Bush Terminal.[5] Connections to the rail network to the north are made using the National Docks line through Jersey City and the Long Dock Tunnel to Croxton Yard.[6]

History

The rail route started in 1893 as part the Jersey City, Newark and Western Railway which was soon absorbed by the Lehigh Valley Terminal Railway to reach terminals on the North River and at Black Tom. The Pennsylvania Railroad also used the bridge to reach its Greenville Yard on Upper New York Bay.[7][8][9] The original wooden trestle[1] structure was mostly destroyed in a fire with great losses on June 14, 1913.[10] It was replaced by the companies three months later in what was considered a formidable feat of being re-built in twelve days after construction had started.[11][12] The current bridge, built from 1928–1930,[13][14][15][16] is the last of the rail bridges across the bay or Kearny Point at its northern end. The CRRNJ Newark Bay Bridge downstream and the Newark and New York Railroad Bridge upstream have been dismantled.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Marketing Department Inspection Train". Conrail. May 11, 1984. http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/CR/CR%20Track%20Charts/CR%20Phila%20Inspection%20Train%2010-11-1984.pdf. Retrieved 2010-12-07. 
  2. ^ Flickr
  3. ^ "LEHIGH'S HEAD SEES RECOVERY ON WAY;". New York Times. February 25, 1930. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0C14FE355D117A93C7AB1789D85F448385F9&scp=2&sq=LEHIGH'S%20HEAD%20SEES%. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  4. ^ Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Newark Bay, NJ, Maintenance
  5. ^ Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Press Release: TOP OFFICIALS AND STAKEHOLDERS MEET TO LAUNCH PROJECT THAT WILL STUDY REGIONAL FREIGHT MOVEMENT ISSUES, November 13, 2008
  6. ^ "LIBERTY CORRIDOR:National Docks Rail Clearance" (Press release). New Jersey Transit. May 1, 2008. http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/works/libertycorridor/nationaldocks.shtm. 
  7. ^ Terminal Facilities Sold, New York Times, October 9, 1887.
  8. ^ "Lehigh Valley in Jersey". New York Times. January 15, 1891. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F60F17FF345F10738DDDAC0994D9405B8185F0D3. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  9. ^ "GREAT RAILROADS AT WAR Fighting to Secure Lands on Jersey Shore". New York Times. December 15, 1889. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F20915FF355413738DDDAC0994DA415B8984F0D3. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  10. ^ "NEWARK BAY BRIDGE DESTROYED BY FIRE; Pennsylvania Freight Attempts Run and 37 Cars, Two with Livestock, Are Burned Up.". New York Times. June 16, 1913. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9900E6DF163DE633A25755C1A9609C946296D6CF. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  11. ^ "BRIDGE A MILE LONG REBUILT IN 12 DAYS; Pennsylvania and Lehigh Roads Set a New Record for Speed After Newark Bay Fire.". New York Times. August 11, 1913. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F2081EFE395B13738DDDA80994D0405B838DF1D3&scp=1&sq=BRIDGE%20A%20MILE%20LONG%20REBUILT%20IN%2012%20DAYS;%20Pennsylvania%20and%20Lehigh%20Roads%20Set%20a%20New%20Record%20for%20Speed%20After%20Newark%20Bay%20Fire.&st=cse. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  12. ^ One Hundred Years of LVRR, 1946
  13. ^ "Two New Jersey Bridges Approved". New York Times. May 18, 1927. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0715FA3F5415738DDDA10994DD405B878EF1D3&scp=100&sq=newark%20bay%20lehigh%20valley&st=cse. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  14. ^ "LEHIGH'S HEAD SEES RECOVERY ON WAY;". New York Times. February 25, 1930. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0C14FE355D117A93C7AB1789D85F448385F9&scp=2&sq=LEHIGH'S%20HEAD%20SEES%. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  15. ^ "TO START NEW BRIDGE SOON; Lehigh Valley and P.R.R. Will Build Span Over Newark Bay.". New York Times. 1927. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40D14F93E5B157A93C4A91788D85F438285F9&scp=6&sq=newark%20bay%20bridge%20lehigh&st=cse. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  16. ^ "NEW BRIDGE". New York Times. 1927. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40D14F93E5B157A93C4A91788D85F438285F9&scp=6&sq=newark%20bay%20bridge%20lehigh&st=cse. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  17. ^ WANT NEW BRIDGE.; Chamber of Commerce Indorses Newark Bay Plan