Walkway over the Hudson

About 80 miles north of New York City, the Poughkeepsie Highland Railroad Bridge was re-opened earlier this year as a pedestrian walkway over the Hudson River. Originally built in 1889 (the longest bridge in the world at the time), it had been abandoned since a fire damaged the tracks in 1974. The bridge spans 1.25 miles and the walking deck is 212 feet above the river. Following the fire, the bridge was left standing only due to the inhibitive cost of demolition. The $38 million rehabilitation effort was funded by both public and private investment, and the walkway was able to open on schedule to correspond with the 400^th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s exploration of the river.

-Ian