Frederick Douglass–Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge Explained

Bridge Name:Frederick Douglass–Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge
Carries:Eight lanes of
Crosses:Genesee River and
Locale:Rochester, New York, Monroe County
Maint:NYSDOT
Id:4050129
Design:Triple steel tied arch
Mainspan:140.91NaN1
Length:3640NaN0
Width:39.81NaN1
Traffic:71,640 (2008 est.)
Begin:April 2004
Complete:June 18, 2007
Open:June 18, 2007
Coordinates:43.1511°N -77.6091°W

The Frederick Douglass–Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge (informally called the Freddie-Sue Bridge[1] and known as the Troup–Howell Bridge until July 13, 2007) is a triple steel arch bridge carrying Interstate 490 (I-490) over the Genesee River and New York State Route 383 (NY 383, named Exchange Boulevard) in downtown Rochester, New York. The bridge, officially completed on June 18, 2007, replaced a 50-year-old multi-girder bridge situated in the same location.

Description

The bridge is 364m (1,194feet) in length, with the longest span, the arch-supported roadway crossing the Genesee, encompassing 140.9m (462.3feet). The structure is 39.8m (130.6feet) wide. The roadway on its surface is eight lanes wide, with four reserved for each direction of I-490. The structure carries an estimated 71,640 vehicles daily over NY 383 and the Genesee.[2]

The New York State Department of Transportation is responsible for maintenance on the bridge.

History

The original Troup–Howell Bridge was constructed in 1954, and reconfigured in 1974 to become part of the federal Interstate system. By 1996, the bridge had deteriorated enough that the New York State Department of Transportation determined it was time to replace it.[3]

Construction on the new bridge began in May 2004. To prevent the flow of traffic from being halted on I-490, the construction of the arch bridge and the demolition of the girder bridge were done in stages, which allowed a minimum of four lanes of traffic, two in each direction, to be open at all times.[4] On June 18, 2007, the bridge was officially completed and fully open to traffic for the first time.

In a ceremony at the bridge on July 13, 2007, the bridge was renamed the "Frederick Douglass–Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge", honoring Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, both of whom had ties to Rochester during their lives.[5]

In 2024, the bridge was given its first repainting.[6]

Notes and References

  1. News: WHAM Morning News Daily Recap . November 1, 2011 . April 5, 2012 .
  2. Web site: 2007 Traffic Data Report for New York State . https://web.archive.org/web/20120612094059/https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/hds-respository/Traffic%20Data%20Report%202007.pdf . dead . June 12, 2012 . July 25, 2008 . . July 17, 2009 .
  3. https://www.erdmananthony.com/Portals/0/pdf/Articles/Transportation%20Research%20Magazine%20Douglass%20Anthony%20BridgeSM.pdf
  4. Governor: DOT breaks ground on $37M Troup–Howell Bridge project . New York State Department of Transportation . May 6, 2004 . July 21, 2024.
  5. News: Bridge Takes On New Name . . July 13, 2007 . July 21, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927225708/http://www.rnews.com/Story_2004.cfm?ID=51126&rnews_story_type=18&category=10 . September 27, 2007 . dead .
  6. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/community/2024/05/14/-5-3-million-project-underway-to-strip-and-repaint-douglass-anthony-memorial-bridge