Tioronda Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tioronda Bridge |
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The remaining abutments and structural elements of the Tioronda Bridge, in 2008.
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| Coordinates | 41°29′19″N 73°58′27″W / 41.48861°N 73.97417°W |
| Carries | Two lanes of South Avenue |
| Crosses | Fishkill Creek |
| Locale | Beacon, NY, United States |
| Maintained by | City of Beacon |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Bowstring truss |
| Total length | 110 feet (34 m) |
| Width | 16 feet (4.9 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1873 |
| Closed | 1985 |
The Tioronda Bridge was a special bridge that used to cross Fishkill Creek in Beacon, New York. It carried South Avenue over the creek. This bridge was built a long time ago, between 1869 and 1873. The Ohio Bridge Company built it. Sadly, the city took it down in December 2006.
The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. This means it was considered an important historical structure. However, about ten years later, it became too old and unsafe. It had to be closed in 1985.
What Was the Tioronda Bridge?
Today, you can still see some parts of the Tioronda Bridge. Three stone supports, called abutments, are still in the river. These are like strong walls that held up the bridge. You can also see a steel beam and some pipes. These parts once supported three sections of the bridge. Each section was about 34 feet (10 meters) long. The total length of the bridge was 110 feet (34 meters).
A Special Design
The Tioronda Bridge had a unique design. It was a "bowstring truss" bridge. This means it had arched, hollow tubes that looked like a bow. These "bowstrings" originally carried the weight of the bridge. Later, they became more like guardrails. This special design made the bridge stand out.
It was one of the last bowstring truss bridges left in the United States. It was also one of the oldest bridges for cars in New York. What made it even more special was that its design came from a "patent model." A patent model is a small version of an invention. It shows how the invention works. Only one other bridge, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, was built using this same design. The Ohio Bridge Company stopped building bridges in 1873. This might have been because of a money problem called the Panic of 1873.
Why Was It Taken Down?
Even though the Tioronda Bridge was important, it became too old and unsafe. It was closed in 1985. The city decided to take it down in 2006.
The special "bowstring" parts of the bridge were saved. People hoped they could be used again. Maybe they could be part of a new bridge. However, no one knows when a new bridge might be built. The local police and fire department want a new bridge to be wider. The old stone supports and remaining deck parts are not wide enough for a modern bridge.
