Driving through NYC in your New York car rental you’re bound to pass either over or through one of the Big Apples famous bridges or tunnels. From the Brooklyn Bridge or the Queens Midtown Tunnel New York just wouldn’t be the same without the city’s numerous land connecting apparatus. Over 800,000 vehicles utilizes these facilities everyday, resulting in more than $1 billon annually from the collection of tolls. This money is used to keep facilities well maintained and to subsidize fares. There are over 755 elevated bridges in the state of New York along with 67 culverts and 6 tunnels, allowing drivers safe and essay excess to everything the Big Apple has to offer!
Different Types of Bridges
New York has many massive bridge structures, along with a variety of smaller specimens. Each bridge is built to serve a specific purpose, making travel easier in your New York car rental.
- Girder Span Bridges: these are used to span short distances. An example of a Girder Span is the Brooklyn Third Avenue Bridge.
- Steel Arch Bridges: consist of either a single or multiple arches. The twin-arched Washington Bridge over the Harlem River is an example of a Steel Arch Bridge.
- Swing Bridges: the Grand Street Bridge is an example of a Swing Bridge. Wing Bridges are supported on a center pier in the middle of a waterway.
- Vertical Lift Bridges: these bridges are moveable and have roadways that can be raised in a manner similar to a building elevator. The Roosevelt Island Bridge is a Vertical Lift Bridge.
- Retractable Bridges: there are only a few remaining Retractable Bridges in NYC including the Brooklyn Bridge. This type of bridge dates back to medieval times and are used to span narrow crossings where maximum horizontal clearance is required.
The Big 3 East River Bridges in NYC
The Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge and the Williamsburg Bridge are three of the most commonly used bridges in New York City, transporting thousands of people to work, school, entertainment and much, much more!
- The Brooklyn Bridge
This bridge is an extremely influential piece of American history and is one of the most celebrated architectural wonders in the whole world! In 1883 this bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world as it links two neoGothic towers with delicate lacework steel wire cables. - The Williamsburg Bridge
This bridge is the longest of the three spanning the East River, replacing the Brooklyn Bridge as the longest suspension bridge in the world in 1903. This structure is huge and allows New York car rentals to travel from Delancey Street in Lower Manhattan to Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn. - The Manhattan Bridge
The Manhattan bridge is the most heavily traveled East River Crossing, so make sure to plan for traffic jams in your New York car rental! Between 78,000 and 350,000 people travel over this bridge each day on one of the six roadways and two subway tracks. The Manhattan Bridge is also aesthetically pleasing to look at, making it a popular staple of the Manhattan skyline!
Tunnels
- The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, which opened in 1950 was dubbed the longest continuous underwater passageway in North America, and it still holds that title today. This tunnel connects two of NYC’s most diverse boroughs; the Manhattan end is located in the Wall Street area while the Brooklyn entrance is located in the midst of busy shops, quaint brownstones and industrial areas.
- The Queens Midtown Tunnel opened in 1940 and represents the most advanced tunnel engineering techniques of those days. This tunnel connects midtown Manhattan and Queens and is heavily traveled everyday. The portal at the Queens end of the tunnel is a historic entryway, as it was a rail and ferry transport point back in the 19th century.