Built 3.5 miles south of Kingston by the New York State Bridge Authority from 1954 to 1957, the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge became a vital link between the New York State Thruway and the Taconic State Parkway. Located 60 miles from Albany and 96 miles from New York City, the continuous under-deck truss bridge was the sixth vehicular bridge built across the Hudson River south of Albany. As vehicle traffic increased rapidly after World War II, it eased delays caused by seasonal ferry closings and relieved pressure on the Bear Mountain, Mid-Hudson, and Rip Van Winkle Bridges. Developed alongside planning for the Thruway and supported by IBM's new Kingston campus, it was seen as part of a regional "triangle of progress" meant to encourage industrial, commercial, and residential development. Its opening on February 2, 1957, ended a 13-year campaign that began after local ferry service ended in 1942. Ferry service was restored in 1946, and the Wicks-Hatfield Act of 1947 authorized studies and construction, with Superintendent Bertram D. Tallamy endorsing the project in 1949. Early plans placed the crossing at Kingston and Rhinecliff, but the site was shifted to avoid downtown congestion and to account for shoreline estate owners and other regional transportation projects. Preliminary designs by consulting engineer David B. Steinman began in 1947 as a suspension bridge, but by 1950 the design had changed to a continuous under-deck truss with all supporting structure below the roadway. The west and east approaches were built in 1953 and 1954, foundation piers were constructed from 1954 to 1955, and the superstructure rose from 1955 to 1957, while paving, electrical work, and toll facilities were completed as the project neared opening. Severe winter weather delayed final work, so the unfinished bridge opened first for daylight commuter traffic on February 2, 1957, and was formally dedicated on May 11, 1957. In 2000, the New York Legislature ceremonially renamed it the George Clinton Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge in honor of New York's first and longest-serving governor.

Photo: Steve Stoessel

Photo: Steve Stoessel

Photo: Steve Stoessel

Barrytown, New York · USA