New York Roads - Hell Gate Bridge

Hell Gate Bridge


The design that sailed a thousand ships - or at least two other bridges, Tyne Bridge in England and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia. This was the first, in 1917.


Take your pick of profiles, looking east from Manhattan through the Triboro Bridge (I-278), from Field 73 on Randall's Island, from under I-278 or from the north approach. You can also take your pick of names, as many people call this Hell's Gate (myself included, before captioning this page).


Sunnier views, looking northeast from Shore Blvd. in Astoria Park, Queens.


There comes an exact moment, looking south from the Triboro Bridge, when the arch lines up perfectly with the north portal. Good luck.


Walking north along the Hell Gate Railroad Viaduct, there comes a stretch of four underdeck trusses with wider spacing. There are also concrete pillars up on the railroad level. This was originally a bridge over Little Hell Gate, which is now the land bridge between Randall's and Ward's Islands. Like that waterway, the building in the 3rd photo is gone now.


Looking north and south by the north end of the viaduct, where one more truss signifies the crossing of Bronx Kill into Queens. That's mostly land now, too.


Various views west from the baseball fields of that northern span and the catenary gantry before it. The northern pier now sits in Bronx Kill while the area under the span is all grass. Poor planning.


Under the northern Hell Gate Viaduct bridge, I spy the northern Triboro Bridge span.

Over to I-278 (Triboro Bridge)
See more of Manhattan
Into Queens
Into the Bronx
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