page_title: Macombs Dam Bridge
section_title: Over-river span
hierarchical_section_title: Macombs Dam Bridge / Description / Over-river span
caption_attribution_description: The Macombs Dam Bridge is a swing bridge that spans the Harlem River in New York City, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx near Yankee Stadium. Built in 1890-95 and designed by consulting engineer Alfred Pancoast Boller, it is the third-oldest bridge in New York City.
context_page_description: The Macombs Dam Bridge is a swing bridge across the Harlem River in New York City, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. The bridge is operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation.
  The Macombs Dam Bridge connects the intersection of 155th Street and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard, located in Manhattan, with the intersection of Jerome Avenue and 161st Street, located near Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The 155th Street Viaduct, one of the bridge's approaches in Manhattan, carries traffic on 155th Street from Seventh Avenue to the intersection with Edgecombe Avenue and St. Nicholas Place. The bridge is 2,540 feet long in total, with four vehicular lanes and two sidewalks.
  The first bridge at the site was constructed in 1814 as a true dam called Macombs Dam. Because of complaints about the dam's impact on the Harlem River's navigability, the dam was demolished in 1858 and replaced three years later with a wooden swing bridge called the Central Bridge, which required frequent maintenance.
context_section_description: The Macombs Dam Bridge includes a swing bridge over the Harlem River, pivoting around a small masonry island in the middle of the river.  The swinging span is the oldest remaining swing bridge in New York City that retains its original span. According to the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), which maintains the bridge, it is the city's third-oldest major bridge still in operation. It is variously cited as being 408 or 415 feet (124 or 126 m) long. It has four lanes for vehicular traffic and a sidewalk on each side for pedestrians. The roadway measures 40 feet (12 m) wide and the sidewalks measure 9.9 feet (3.0 m) wide. The total width of the deck, including additional space for supports and railings, is 65 feet (20 m).
  The span's trusswork consists of concave chords running along the top. The chords taper up toward a square section in the center of the span, which is topped by four finials. On the Manhattan side, there is a plaque stating the year 1894, the words "Central Bridge", and the name of the bridge's major engineers. The design has been compared to a "raffish tiara" due to the presence of the Gothic Revival-style abutments.
  The span is located between two pairs of stone end piers with shelter houses. The shelter houses contain red tile roofs and are used by the bridge tender. Latticework gates are located near these end piers, blocking off access to the span when it is in the "open" position. Many of the original railings have been replaced.
  The swing span can be rotated around a tower located below the center of the deck, which in turn is located on the small masonry island. On both sides of the island are shipping channels with 150 feet (46 m) of horizontal clearance. When closed, the bridge provides 25 feet (7.6 m) of vertical clearance. The swinging portion weighs 2,400 short tons (2,100 long tons; 2,200 t) and is turned by two concentric drums: the inner drum has a diameter of 36 feet (11 m) and the outer has a diameter of 44 feet (13 m). At the time of its construction, Macombs Dam Bridge's over-river span was said to be among the largest drawbridges built to date, or the heaviest movable mass in the world.
caption: One of the four stone end piers
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "", "Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon PowerShot A810", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image Software": "Microsoft Windows Photo Viewer 6.1.7600.16385", "Image DateTime": "2014:02:01 18:48:55", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image Tag 0x1001": "4608", "Image Tag 0x1002": "3456", "Image ExifOffset": "2380", "Image SensitivityType": "Standard Output Sensitivity and Recommended Exposure Index", "Image XPTitle": "[32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, ... ]", "Image XPSubject": "[32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, 32, 0, ... ]", "Image CameraOwnerName": "", "Image Padding": "[]", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/1000", "EXIF FNumber": "5", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "100", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0230", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2014:02:01 12:54:31", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2014:02:01 12:54:31", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF CompressedBitsPerPixel": "3", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "319/32", "EXIF ApertureValue": "149/32", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "-1/3", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "149/32", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "15401/1000", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "00", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "00", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3456", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "4608", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "9038", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "2304000/121", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "1728000/91", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Manual Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "1", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF Padding": "[]", "EXIF OffsetSchema": "4204"}