Astoria pols beg to get bridge painted

From DNA Info:

The Hell Gate Bridge turns 100 years old this year — and its age is showing, a group of elected officials say.

Queens politicians are calling on Amtrak to repaint the Hell Gate ahead of its centennial this September, pointing to the "unbecoming appearance" of the bridge's faded and mismatched paint.

"The bridge has not been repainted since the 1990s, and stands today covered in a patchwork of pink, beige, and brown," the officials wrote in a letter sent to Amtrak President Joseph Boardman last week.

The letter — signed by Congressman Joseph Crowley, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas, State Sen. Michael Gianaris and Councilman Costa Constantinides — describes the Hell Gate as "an iconic piece of Amtrak's infrastructure."

Proposal to light up the Hell Gate Bridge

From DNA Info:

The New York Anti-Crime Agency, a nonprofit that runs safety seminars and neighborhood graffiti cleanups, is pushing to get lights added to the Hell Gate Bridge, saying the unlit structure has gone for years without the recognition it deserves.

The bridge, operated by Amtrak, connects Queens to the Bronx by way of Randall's Island and is a looming sight along the Astoria waterfront, hulking over Astoria Park.

Designed by noted civil engineer Gustav Lindenthal, the Hell Gate opened in 1916 and was reportedly the inspiration behind the similarly-designed Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.

[Civic leader Tony] Meloni is hoping his appeal will interest current federal representatives who can take on the project, and suggests opening it up to the community to see what kind of lights people think would look best along the Hell Gate.

Why the Hell Gate Bridge looks like hell

Turns out the reason is complicated.

Photo from the NY Times.

The Astoria Scum River Bridge

From Gothamist:

A leaky pipe might not be much compared to, say, whatever caused the Bronx Swamp to take shape—but for locals in Astoria their watery mess is both gross and hazardous. It allegedly makes 33rd Street, beneath the Hell Gate Bridge viaduct approach, a festering cesspool of standing water or (when it's cold) a festering cesspool popsicle! This thing has a nickname: the Astoria Scum River... and now that river has a bridge.

From Astoria Scum River Bridge:

Astoria Scum River, as it's called, stretches the entire width of the sidewalk, and as winter approaches, the river ices over and becomes particularly hazardous to cross.

Astoria Scum River Bridge was constructed to offer Astorians an opportunity to safetly cross this hazard. The unauthorized bridge is a gift to the pedestrians of Astoria in the absence of successful municipal efforts to ameliorate the problem.

I like this MUCH better than his lame chairs-in-the-subway project. This one has bite! And it got the intended result.

Hell Gate Bridge falling apart

From the Queens Gazette:

City Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr. is calling on Amtrak for immediate and permanent rehabilitation of the Hell Gate Bridge, recently rated the worst in Queens.

Since he first took office, Vallone has written numerous letters to Amtrak highlighting the need for structural updates, including a completely new paint job and cameras installed to prevent vandalism.

Most recently, a longtime Astoria resident called Vallone’s office for help after a five-foot piece of debris fell from the bridge into her backyard. “I heard a loud noise when it fell, it looks like a rubber hose. I’ve never seen anything like it,” the resident said. The resident said she often notices nuts, bolts and pieces of wood that have landed in her yard from the bridge and sets up a gazebo in the summer to protect against the falling objects.

The New York state Department of Transportation recently gave the Hell Gate Bridge the lowest rating in its scoring system after reviewing every bridge in Queens.

“Who knows what this thing is. Maybe it’s a necessary track safety device,” Vallone said. “Residents shouldn’t have to worry about whether these UFOs, Unidentified Falling Objects, came from aliens or Amtrak.”

All along the Hell Gate

Forgotten-NY visits the arches of the Hell Gate bridge, which are full of surprises. Click photo for story.