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Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge Project Print E-mail
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge
The suspended span of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge across the East River parallels the Hell Gate Bridge (1916), a steel arch railroad bridge designed by Gustav Lindenthal.
The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge (formerly the Triborough Bridge) connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. The 3 ½-mile long complex of bridges is a major three-branched waterway crossing embracing several distinct structural types: a long suspension bridge across the Hell Gate (East River), a large vertical lift span across the Harlem River, a fixed span designed to be convertible to a lift span across the Bronx Kill, a long viaduct across Randall's and Wards Islands, and an innovative three-legged roadway interchange.

When the bridge opened in 1936, it included 14 miles of arterial highway approaches, a unique feature at the time, as well as several urban planning and design features such as landscaping, parks, and recreational facilities. The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge complex is an early exemplification of the complete planning and development of a major transportation project in an urban environment, a concept that has been copied many times in later projects throughout the world.

The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge was the first structure constructed by the Triborough Bridge Authority. The authority was created by the New York State Legislature in 1933 as a public benefit corporation to complete the bridge after the City abandoned its construction during the Great Depression. Headed by master builder Robert Moses, the authority grew into the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA), which currently operates seven bridges and two tunnels in New York City. In 1968, the TBTA became part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as MTA Bridges and Tunnels.

Construction of the bridge started on October 25, 1929—the day after "Black Thursday"—and was abandoned from 1930-1932 during the Great Depression. Robert Moses employed Othmar H. Amman to redesign the structure and cut costs. The design of the East River suspension span, originally developed by Arthur I. Perry, was modified from dual decks to a single deck, reducing the amount of main cables from four to two, while still retaining as much of the earlier design and constructed elements as possible. Having already designed the George Washington Bridge and Bayonne Bridge for the New York Port Authority, Othmar Ammann would later design three more bridges for the TBTA including the Bronx-Whitestone, Throgs Neck, and Verrazano-Narrows.

In the year of its fiftieth anniversary, the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark on December 17, 1986. ASCE National President Daniel Barge, Jr. officiated at a special ceremony conducted at the bridge and presented a plaque to the late George Schoepfer, Executive Officer and Chief Engineer of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority. The plaque was installed on the Queens approach to the East River suspension span.

The Triborough Bridge was officially renamed as the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge on November 19, 2008, honoring the former U.S. senator from New York.

 
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