The Bayville Bridge is a 541-foot (165 m) long drawbridge carrying Ludlam Avenue/West Shore Road, connecting the villages of Bayville and Mill Neck in Nassau County, on Long Island, New York, United States, while passing over Mill Neck Creek and Oyster Bay Harbor.
Bayville Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The southern approach to the Bayville Bridge on August 29, 2021. | |
| Coordinates | 40°54′09.8″N 73°32′55.3″W / 40.902722°N 73.548694°W |
| Carries | 2 lanes of Ludlam Avenue/West Shore Road and two sidewalks |
| Crosses | Mill Neck Creek/Oyster Bay Harbor |
| Official name | Bayville Bridge |
| Owner | Nassau County, New York |
| Maintained by | Nassau County Department of Public Works |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Bascule |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 541 feet (165 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1938 (current bridge) |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 9,128 (as of 2016) |
| Location | |
 | |
The bridge is owned and maintained by Nassau County, and is a major landmark and tourist attraction within Mill Neck and Bayville.[1][2]
History
editCurrent bridge
editThe current Bayville Bridge was built in 1938, replacing an earlier span which had been deemed to be "inadequate" in a survey, showing an increase in vehicular traffic; it is the fourth bridge in this location.[3][4][5]
The bridge suffered damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and repairs were completed in 2013.[6]
As of 2016, the bridge carried an average of 9,128 vehicles per day.[7]
In 2020, the bridge underwent an extensive rehabilitation project.[8]
Previous bridges
editThe first bridge in this location opened in 1898, and enabled a quicker route into Bayville, as it eliminated the need to travel around the shore of Mill Neck Creek or take a boat across the waterway.[5]
Made of wood, the original drawbridge was replaced in 1904 with a newer drawbridge made of wood planks and steel rails; the original bridge had proved to be unfit for heavy loads when a man named Harry West realized after safely ashore that part of the bridge had collapsed after he carried a heavy load over the bridge.[5]
The second drawbridge was replaced in 1922 with a third bridge, which opened to much fanfare.[5] Despite common belief that it would last "forever," it was replaced with the current span in 1938.[5]
See also
edit- Atlantic Beach Bridge – Another drawbridge in Nassau County.
References
edit- ^ "Bayville Bridge Rehabilitation". LKB Consulting Engineers. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
- ^ Fischler, Marcelle S. (2011-07-01). "Never Too Far From the Beach". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
- ^ "New York OPD Geographic Information Gateway". opdgig.dos.ny.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
- ^ "BAYVILLE SPAN APPROVED; Woodring Accepts Plans for a Bridge Over Mill Creek". The New York Times. 1937-12-14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
- ^ a b c d e Amon, Rhoda (2000-09-02). "TIME MACHINE / THEN & NOW / Bridging the Past and the Present in Bayville". Newsday. Archived from the original on 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
- ^ Bleyer, Bill (2013-03-28). "Bayville Bridge due to open April 17". Newsday. Archived from the original on 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
- ^ "Bayville Bridge". Bridgehunter.com. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
- ^ Reyes, Ronny (2019-09-06). "Major repairs coming to Bayville Bridge this winter". Herald Community Newspapers. Retrieved 2021-09-10.