| Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge | |
|---|---|
 View looking up at the bridge | |
| Carries | Berkshire Parkway |
| Crosses | Hudson River |
| Locale | Castleton-on-Hudson, New York |
| Official name | Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge |
| Other name(s) | Castleton Bridge |
| Owner | Thruway Authority |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cantilevered truss bridge |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 5,369 feet |
| Width | 66 feet |
| Height | 135 feet |
| Longest span | 600 feet |
| History | |
| Opened | 1958 |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | 2-axle vehicles: $1.05 cash or EZ-PASS (both directions) |
The Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge, commonly referred to as simply the Castleton Bridge is a cantilevered truss bridge over the Hudson River in Castleton-on-Hudson, New York. The bridge carries the Berkshire Parkway, a tolled spur connector between the Mass Pike and the New York Thruway, both of which are signed as Interstate 90. The Berkshire Parkway connects to the Canaan Toll Plaza of the New York Thruway and the West Stockbridge Toll Plaza of the Mass Pike on the eastern end, and connects to the junction of I-90/I-87/I-787 (known as the “Circle Stack Interchange”) on the west end.
The Berkshire Parkway and Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge essentially serve as a bypass route around downtown Albany and the often congested Patroon Island Bridge, which carries Interstate 90 and the NY Thruway proper about 2 miles upstream. Upon leaving Massachusetts and the Mass Pike, westbound traffic is transferred onto the Berkshire Parkway for about 5 miles, during which the Parkway interchanges with the Taconic State Parkway, a scenic car-only route between Albany and New York City. After the junction of the Taconic Parkway, the Berkshire Parkway splits to the west, and immediately encounters the Canaan Toll Plaza for the Castleton Bridge, while Interstate 90 proper curves northeast towards downtown Albany, and the bridge toll for the Patroon Island Bridge is located on the west side of the river. A toll plaza for traffic entering I-90 towards Albany form the Taconic Parkway northbound is present, however traffic entering this section of I-90 from the Berkshire Parkway can just pass through the express lanes, even without EZ-PASS.
In June 2016, the Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge was indefinitely closed to all traffic after a routine inspection discovered several cantilever hinges, which support the truss superstructure, about to fail. The failure of two or more of these hinges could lead to a complete and catastrophic collapse of the entire structure. Therefore, the bridge was closed and all traffic was detoured along I-90 and the Patroon Island Bridge through Albany. Passenger cars could also use the Taconic Parkway and cross the Rip Van Winkle Bridge about 7 miles to the south, but this route was significantly longer both distance and time wise. Fortunately, the repairs on the Castleton Bridge did not take as long as originally expected, and the bridge was reopened to all traffic within a month.
The Castleton Bridge is located less than 1/2 mile upstream of the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge, which carries freight trains across the river, usually heading to and from the Waterford Freight Terminal, located north of Albany.
See also[]
- Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge
- Patroon Island Bridge
- List of bridges within the Interstate 90 corridor