Dunn Memorial Bridge

Bridge in Albany and Rensselaer, NY

42°38′35″N 73°44′51″W / 42.643136°N 73.747551°W / 42.643136; -73.747551 (Dunn Memorial Bridge)Carries8 lanes of

US 9 / US 20 NY Bike Rte 5 NY Bike Rte 9CrossesHudson RiverLocaleAlbany and Rensselaer, NYOfficial namePrivate Parker F. Dunn Memorial BridgeOther name(s)Dunn Memorial BridgeMaintained byNew York State Department of Transportation ID number1093029CharacteristicsDesignSteel girder bridgeClearance below60 ftHistoryOpened1969StatisticsDaily traffic36,000Location Map

The Dunn Memorial Bridge, officially known as the Private Parker F. Dunn Memorial Bridge, carries US 9 and US 20 across the Hudson River between Albany, New York and Rensselaer, New York.

Description

Completed in 1969 to replace an earlier span bearing the same name, the highway bridge has a steel girder design. It is the southernmost toll-free road crossing of the Hudson. It is named for Parker F. Dunn, an Albany native who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in World War I.

While traveling eastbound on the Dunn Memorial Bridge towards the City of Rensselaer, there is a noticeable stub where the road ends and traffic is "forced off" the bridge onto offramps for US Routes 9 and 20. The road was originally supposed to continue on as part of the canceled South Mall Expressway to Interstate 90 at present day Exit 8.

Rensselaer's Riverfront Park is located under the eastern end of the bridge. Peregrine falcons have been observed nesting under the roadway since 1998, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation set up a webcam to monitor them.^[1]

On July 27, 2005, the bridge was temporarily closed when a ramp leading to the Empire State Plaza split vertically, causing the roadbed to drop more than a foot. A section of the ramp, which at 89 feet (27 m) tall is the uppermost one connecting to the bridge, had slipped and come to rest on a concrete supporting pier. The Department of Transportation was alerted to the situation by a call from a commuter who had driven over the gap. Two steel towers were installed to support the ramp and it was later repaired.^[2]^[3]

On March 25, 2014, a man jumped off the bridge following a police chase in connection with a shooting the previous night. The man survived and was evacuated via ambulance.^[4]

Bicycle and pedestrian access

Bicyclists and pedestrians may use the sidewalk along the north side of the bridge.^[5]

Gallery

The Greenbush Bridge, seen in the background of this image, preceded the Dunn Memorial Bridge.
The stubs at the bridge's eastern end, built for the canceled South Mall Expressway.
A cross section of the unfinished eastern portion of one of the sides of the Dunn Memorial Bridge.
Supports for the unfinished end of the Dunn Memorial Bridge.
Surface and structure of the unfinished end of the Dunn Memorial Bridge.
The Dunn Memorial Bridge from the unfinished Rensselaer, NY side heading to Albany, NY.

References

^ "Peregrine Falcon Webcam - Albany, NY - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation". Archived from the original on 2007-05-18.
^ "Engineers search for cause of ramp buckle on Dunn Memorial Bridge | The Business Review". Archived from the original on 2011-05-25.
^ http://www.wnyt.com/x4483.xml?ag=x156&sb=x183 ^{[dead link]}
^ Gardinier, Bob (26 March 2014). "Car hits bridge; suspect jumps". Albany Times Union. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
^ "Highway and Bridge Restrictions". NYDOT. New York Dept of Transportation. Retrieved 23 July 2021. Yes, bicyclists may use the sidewalk along the north side of the bridge.

External links

Media related to Dunn Memorial Bridge at Wikimedia Commons
Dunn Memorial Bridge at Capital Highways
Dunn Memorial Bridge at Everything2
"Historical photos: Dunn Memorial Bridge". Times Union. 2016-05-17. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
"Damage shuts down Dunn Memorial Bridge"^{[permanent dead link]} at WNYT
Peregrine Falcons in Albany Archived 2006-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
YouTube video of driving over the bridge
Parker F. Dunn Medal of Honor Citation