Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and a host of others, including the bridge designer’s 96-year-old daughter Francesca Lindenthal Gebhardt, joined in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Queensboro Bridge on Sunday, May 31.
Also known as the 59th Street Bridge, in 1902, Mayor Seth Low recruited noted bridge engineer Gustav Lindenthal to serve as the first Commissioner of the Department of Bridges. His mandate was to design a bridge that would link Manhattan and Queens and include a connection between the Harlem River rail line at East 59th Street with the Long Island Rail Road. Lindenthal proposed a cantilever design.
On March 30, 1909, the bridge unofficially opened, having cost $20,000,000 and 50 worker lives. In June of 1909, the official bridge opening took place. It was a week-long, celebration filled with parades, fireworks, theatrical performances, circuses, a marathon and other athletic contests.
Over the years, the bridge’s decks were altered or reconfigured to meet the evolving traffic requirements of the region. Originally, the upper deck held two rail tracks and a like number of vehicular and pedestrian lanes. The lower deck had two trolley and four vehicle lanes.
All of the original elevated train rail tracks were removed by 1942 and the trolley service ceased by 1958. Additional lanes were added for vehicles but, remaining on the north side of the lower deck, is a pedestrian walk that offers views of the city.
