Cochecton–Damascus Bridge
The Cochecton–Damascus Bridge, sometimes called the Cochecton Dam Road Bridge, crosses the Delaware River in the United States between the unincorporated hamlet of Cochecton, in Sullivan County, New York, and Damascus Township, in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. On the Pennsylvania side it is the eastern terminus of State Route 371; in New York its approach road is County Route 114. It was built in 1950; bridges have crossed the river at that point since 1819.
Cochecton–Damascus Bridge | |
|---|---|
View from Pennsylvania side, 2013 | |
| Coordinates | 41.70501°N 75.06671°W |
| Carries | Pennsylvania Route 371, Sullivan County Route 114 |
| Crosses | Delaware River |
| Locale | Cochecton, NY Damascus Twp., PA |
| Other name(s) | Cochecton Dam Road Bridge |
| Owner | New York–Pennsylvania Joint Interstate Bridge Commission |
| Maintained by | New York–Pennsylvania Joint Interstate Bridge Commission |
| National Bridge Inventory | 1091660 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Warren through truss |
| Material | Steel, concrete |
| Total length | 684 feet (208 m) |
| Width | 26 feet (7.9 m) |
| Longest span | 224.7 feet (68.5 m) |
| No. of spans | 3 |
| Clearance above | 14.8 feet (4.5 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Triple Cities Construction |
| Opened | 1950 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 1419 |
| Location | |
Those early bridges replaced ferry services that had to replace them when they collapsed or were washed away during floods. By the late 19th century a private company had built a toll bridge at the site which proved stable. It was eventually bought by a joint commission established by both states, which abolished the toll. A lawsuit against New York over the construction of the current bridge ended in a holding that the state itself could be sued over actions of the commission since that body was not sufficiently distinct from the state, and sovereign immunity did not apply.