Bridging the Past with the Present

The Hudson Valley has some of the longest, oldest and most beautiful bridges in New York State. Out of the 10 that crisscross the river between NYC and Albany, five are in the historical Sleepy Hollow region.

They are: Bear Mountain Bridge near West Point, the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge near Washington’s Headquarters, the Mid-Hudson Bridge near the Culinary Institute of America, the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge near the first Capital of New York State and the Rip Van Winkle Bridge near the Fredrick Church castle called Olana.

Once the longest bridge in the world, the Poughkeepsie Highland Railroad bridge finished construction in 1889 as one of the safest and sturdiest iron and steel structures ever built. Its four massive support legs were sunk so deep into the river bed that it was said to last forever.

Then in the 70s, the bridge was abandoned due to a fire and sat rusting in silence because it was too expensive to tear down. But a $2 million corporate grant adding to the $38 million price tag helped launch it as a tourism and recreation destination.

In early October (last month) the bridge reopened as the "Walkway Over the Hudson" making it the longest pedestrian walkway in the United States. The 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration helped spark the financial incentives to make it happen.

I wasn't there last month but this weekend, with Mutti and sis tagging along, we got to enjoy a good share of the Hudson Valley and it's legacy projects.