Walkway Over The Hudson SHP - Poughkeepsie and Highland, New York
Posted by: Vermontish
N 41° 42.600 W 073° 57.180
18T E 587103 N 4618108
Historic railroad bridge is now a state historic park
Waymark Code: WM7GT7
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 10/24/2009
Views: 13
When the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge opened for service in 1888, it was the longest bridge in the world and an engineering marvel, deserving of an
article in Scientific American. It was the first rail crossing of the Hudson River, at last allowing direct transit between New England and the western US. For almost 100 years, the bridge served as a crucial part of a major transportation route.
With railroads in decline (not to mention Penn Central going bankrupt), the bridge was abandoned when fire damaged it in 1974. Since 1995, support has been mustered and money raised through private and corporate donations and state and federal grants to convert the bridge into a unique linear park, Walkway Over the Hudson, connecting rail trails on both sides of the river. On October 3, 2009, the bridge was officially opened as New York's newest State Park and, at 1.28 miles, the longest pedestrian bridge in the country, 212 feet above the Hudson River. There's a short video history here.
This has to be one of, if not THE most unique state parks in the country.
Main coordinates are given at the western (Highland) entrance.