Bear Mountain Bridge
The Bear Mountain Bridge, ceremonially named the Purple Heart Veterans Memorial Bridge, is a toll suspension bridge in New York State. It carries US 6 and US 202 across the Hudson River between Bear Mountain State Park in Orange County and Cortlandt in Westchester County. At completion in 1924 it was the longest suspension bridge in the world until this record was surpassed 19 months later by the Benjamin Franklin Bridge between Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey. Like the Williamsburg Bridge in New York City, the approach spans of the Bear Mountain Bridge are unsuspended; only its main span (between the towers) is suspended by cables.
Bear Mountain Bridge | |
|---|---|
Bear Mountain Bridge in 2022 | |
| Coordinates | 41°19′12″N 73°58′49″W |
| Carries | 2 lanes of US 6 / US 202 and Appalachian Trail and State Bike Route 9 |
| Crosses | Hudson River |
| Locale | Cortlandt / Bear Mountain |
| Other name(s) | Purple Heart Veterans Memorial Bridge (ceremonial) |
| Maintained by | New York State Bridge Authority |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Suspension bridge |
| Total length | 2,255 feet (687 m) |
| Width | 48 feet (15 m) |
| Height | 360 feet (110 m) |
| Longest span | 1,632 feet (497 m) |
| Clearance below | 155 feet (47 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1924 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 17,695 (2007) |
| Toll | (Eastbound only) cars: $1.65 E-ZPass $2.15 tolls-by-mail |
Bear Mountain Bridge | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
New York State Register of Historic Places | |
| Location | Cortlandt / Bear Mountain |
| Coordinates | 41°19′12″N 73°58′49″W |
| Built | 1923 |
| Built by | Terry & Tench Construction Co. |
| Engineer | Baird, Howard C. |
| MPS | Hudson Highlands MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001266 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 23, 1982 |
| Designated NYSRHP | September 30, 1982 |
| Location | |
The span enables connections between the Palisades Interstate Parkway and US 9W on the west bank near Bear Mountain and NY 9D on the east bank as well as US 9 and the Bear Mountain Parkway farther east. It also carries the Appalachian Trail and New York State Bicycle Route 9 across the Hudson.
The bridge has two undivided vehicle lanes flanked by sidewalks. Cyclists may ride with motor vehicle traffic or walk their bikes on the sidewalks.