The Lower Passaic River in New Jersey is the section of the Passaic River below the Great Falls which flows over the Dundee Dam to the river mouth at Newark Bay in the northeastern part of the state. Its midpoint generally delineates the Essex–Hudson and Passaic–Bergen county lines. Numerous spans, mostly moveable bridges, have been built over of the lower reaches of the river, which is tidally influenced to the dam at about mile point (MP) 17.4 and channelized to about MP 17. Once one of the most heavily used waterways in the Port of New York and New Jersey, it remains partially navigable for commercial marine traffic. While requests have significantly diminished since the mid-late 20th century, the bridge at MP 11.7 and those downstream from it are required by federal regulations to open with advance notice, with the exception of the first at MP 1.8, which is staffed and opens on demand.
Early fixed crossings included turnpikes, sometimes built as plank roads. Wood, and later, metal bridges were constructed by competing railroads to access railyards, carfloat operations, passenger terminals, and ferries on the Hudson Waterfront. Rail lines led to further industrialization, urbanization-suburbanization, and the construction of vehicular bridges and streetcar lines. The advent of automobile age in the early and mid 20th century saw the building of highway bridges.
The Acquackanonk Bridge was dismantled in 1776 as George Washington retreated from Fort Lee. Another with the same name at the crossing was lost to flooding in 1903. The first railroad swing bridge in the United States was built in 1833. Numerous bridges have been demolished or fallen into disuse, while others have had their swing spans removed, replaced or immobilized. Some have been rebuilt or replaced.
Crossings
| MP | Crossing | Image | Open | Carries/Carried | Locale/Connecting | NBI | Coordinate | Notes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 | PD Draw (unused-swing span removed) | 1869 1912 | Newark and New York Railroad (CNJ) | Kearny Point & Newark Ironbound | 40°43′22″N 74°07′14″W / 40.72279°N 74.12053°W | Swing span shifted to new alignment | |||
| Portway Bridge (proposed) | Doremus Avenue to Central/Pennsylvania Aves | Kearny Point & Port Newark | alignment undetermined | NJDOT to Wittpenn Bridge replacement | |||||
| 1.8 | Lincoln Highway Passaic River Bridge | 1941 | US 1-9 Truck milepoint 0.67 Lincoln Highway | Kearny Point & Newark Ironbound | 0705151 | 40°43′57″N 74°07′04″W / 40.7324°N 74.1179°W | East Coast Greenway Raymond Boulevard NJRHP | ||
| Newark Plank Road (removed) | 1795 original 1941 last | Lincoln Highway PS | 40°43′58″N 74°07′04″W / 40.7327°N 74.1179°W | Ferry Street Communipaw Ave | |||||
| 2.0 | Pulaski Skyway | 1932 | US 1/9 | 0901150 (Hudson) 0704150 (Essex) | 40°44′06″N 74°07′03″W / 40.73495°N 74.11743°W | no trucks, bicycles, or peds NJRHP & NRHP | |||
| 2.6 | Point-No-Point Bridge | Conrail Passaic and Harsimus Line (CSX) (NS) | Kearny Meadows & Newark Ironbound | 40°44′30″N 74°07′16″W / 40.7416°N 74.1211°W | PRR | ||||
| 2.7 | Chaplain Washington Bridge | 1952 | NJ Turnpike Eastern Spur I-95 | W107870 | 40°44′31″N 74°07′22″W / 40.74204°N 74.12264°W | no bicycles or pedestrians | |||
| 2.7 | Harry Laderman Bridge | 1970 | NJ Turnpike Western Spur I-95 | E107880 | 40°44′31″N 74°07′23″W / 40.74196°N 74.12307°W | no bicycles or pedestrians | |||
| 4.6 | Jackson Street Bridge | 1903 | Jackson Street Frank E. Rodgers Blvd | Harrison & Newark Ironbound | 0700H02 | 40°44′02″N 74°09′19″W / 40.73383°N 74.15527°W | NJRHP | ||
| Market Street Bridge (removed) | 1868 1899 | NJRR PRR | Harrison & Newark Penn | 40°44′09″N 74°09′43″W / 40.7358°N 74.1619°W | Swing span shifted to new alignment | ||||
| 5.0 | Dock Bridge (2 spans) | 1935 (west) 1937 (east) | Northeast Corridor Amtrak Northeast Corridor Line (NJT) North Jersey Coast Line (NJT) Raritan Valley Line (NJT) PATH | 40°44′10″N 74°09′41″W / 40.7361°N 74.1615°W | PRR & H&M NJRPH & NRHP | ||||
| Centre Street Bridge (removed) | 1834 1911 | New Jersey Railroad PRR H&M Route 158 | Harrison & Downtown Newark Park Place Station | 40°44′28″N 74°09′51″W / 40.74099°N 74.16404°W | Upper level added Converted from rail to vehicular bridge 1927 | ||||
| 5.6 | Bridge Street Bridge | 1913 | Bridge Street & Harrison Avenue CR 508 | Harrison & Downtown Newark | 0700H03 | 40°44′43″N 74°09′57″W / 40.74515°N 74.16574°W | NJRHP | ||
| 5.85 | Newark Drawbridge | 1903 | Montclair-Boonton Line (NJT) Morristown Line (NJT) Gladstone Branch (NJT) | Harrison & Newark Broad Street Station | 40°44′51″N 74°09′57″W / 40.74743°N 74.16589°W | Morris and Essex Railroad (DL&W) | |||
| 5.9 | William A. Stickel Memorial Bridge | 1949 | I-280 | Harrison & Newark | 0731161 | 40°44′53″N 74°09′57″W / 40.7480°N 74.1659°W | |||
| 6.0 | Clay Street Bridge | 1908 1976 rehab | Central Avenue Clay Street | East Newark & Newark Broadway | 0700H01 | 40°45′04″N 74°09′55″W / 40.75103°N 74.16522°W | |||
| 6.35 | NX Bridge (abandoned) | 1922 | Newark Branch (Erie) | Harrison/East Newark & Newark | 40°45′16″N 74°09′51″W / 40.7544°N 74.1643°W | Fixed open position | |||
| 8.1 | WR Draw (unused) | 1897 | New York & Greenwood Lake (Erie) Boonton Line (NJT) | Arlington, Kearny & North Newark | 40°46′36″N 74°09′01″W / 40.7768°N 74.1502°W | Kearny Riverbank Park | |||
| 8.9 | Belleville Turnpike Bridge | 1790 1841 1914 2002 | Route 7 (Belleville Turnpike) | Arlington, Kearny & Belleville | 0208150 | 40°47′11″N 74°08′51″W / 40.78647°N 74.14750°W | |||
| 10.7 | Kingsland Avenue Bridge | 1905 1986 rehab | Park Avenue to Kingsland Avenue | Nutley & Lyndhurst | NJ 0700B01 NJ 020032A | 40°48′40″N 74°08′19″W / 40.81103°N 74.13852°W | aka DeJessa Memorial Bridge or Park Avenue Bridge or Avondale Bridge | ||
| 11.7 | Lyndhurst Draw | 1903 | Main Line (NJT) NS | Clifton Delawanna & Lyndhurst | 40°49′14″N 74°07′36″W / 40.82069°N 74.12668°W | DL&W & Erie Boonton Branch NJRHP | |||
| Route 3 Passaic River Crossing Dual bridges | 2014 | Route 3 milepoint 4.95 | Clifton & Rutherford/Lyndhurst | 1601155 1601164 | 40°49′23″N 74°07′26″W / 40.82296°N 74.12394°W | NJDOT | |||
| 11.8 | Old Route 3 Passaic River Bridge (demolished) | 1949 demolished 2013 | Clifton & Rutherford | 40°49′23″N 74°07′26″W / 40.82296°N 74.12394°W | |||||
| 13.2 | Union Avenue Bridge | 1896 2002 replace | Union Avenue | Route 21 Passaic & Rutherford | 1600022 | 40°50′29″N 74°07′22″W / 40.84150°N 74.12283°W | aka Douglas O. Mead Bridge Swing removed and reconstructed (2002) | ||
| BE Draw (removed) | 1833 1897 | Paterson and Hudson River Railroad (Erie) MP 10.22 | Passaic-Passaic Park & Rutherford/Wallington Carlton Hill | 40°50′49″N 74°07′16″W / 40.8470°N 74.1212°W | Erie Main Line until 1963 | ||||
| 14.0 | Gregory Avenue Bridge | 1906 | Gregory Avenue to Paterson Avenue | Passaic & Wallington | 1600002 | 40°51′15″N 74°07′11″W / 40.8543°N 74.1196°W | aka Slomiany Memorial Bridge Fixed closed position (1986) NJRHP | ||
| Acquackanonk Bridge (removed) | 1741 1776 1835 1863 1890 1905 | Paterson Plank Road Paterson, Passaic and Rutherford Electric Railway | 40°51′18″N 74°07′12″W / 40.8550°N 74.1199°W | burned 1776 destroyed in flood 1903 | |||||
| 14.7 | Market Street Bridge aka Second Street Bridge | 1930 2002 | Market Street Bridge | 1600003 | 40°51′36″N 74°06′58″W / 40.860°N 74.116°W | Fixed closed position (1977) swing removed & reconstructed (2002) | |||
| 15.3 | Eighth Street Bridge | 1915 | Eighth Street Main Avenue | 1600004 | 40°51′19″N 74°06′34″W / 40.85531°N 74.10953°W | Fixed closed position (1976) NJRHP | |||
| Passaic Street Bridge | 1898 1976 rehab | Wall Street Passaic Street | Passaic & Garfield | 020021C | 40°51′53″N 74°06′36″W / 40.86472°N 74.11003°W | NJRHP | |||
| Bergen County Short-Cut | 1881 original | Dundee Spur (Erie) New York and Greenwood Lake Railway (1996) | 40°52′07″N 74°06′44″W / 40.86862°N 74.11234°W | connections to NS/Bergen County Line (NJT) | |||||
| Monroe Street Bridge | 1908 | Monroe Street | 02000I6 020021D | 40°52′08″N 74°06′45″W / 40.86883°N 74.11249°W | 1875–1878 bridge lost to flooding | ||||
| Passaic Branch (removed) | 1885 | Passaic and New York Railroad (NYS&W) | 40°52′23″N 74°06′54″W / 40.8731°N 74.1150°W | Passaic Junction (rail yard) Botany Mills | |||||
| Veterans Bridge |
| Ackerman Avenue Outwater Lane | Clifton & Garfield | 020021E | 40°52′47″N 74°07′12″W / 40.8798°N 74.1201°W | aka Robertsford Bridge Dundee Canal Industrial Historic District | |||
| 17.4 | Dundee Dam Lock (water navigation) | 1861 | n/a | 40°53′01″N 74°07′36″W / 40.8835°N 74.1266°W | |||||
| 17.4 | Dundee Canal Lock | 1861 | n/a | 40°53′01″N 74°07′36″W / 40.8835°N 74.1266°W | lock head gate |
Abbreviations
- CNJ=Central Railroad of New Jersey
- CSXT=CSX Transportation
- DL&W=Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
- Erie=Erie Railroad
- H&M=Hudson and Manhattan Railroad
- NRHP=National Register of Historic Places
- NJDOT=New Jersey Department of Transportation
- NJRHP=New Jersey Register of Historic Places
- NJT=New Jersey Transit
- NYS&W=New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
- NS=Norfolk Southern Railway
- PATH=Port Authority Trans-Hudson
- PRR=Pennsylvania Railroad
- PS=Public Service Railway
See also
- List of crossings of the Upper Passaic River
- Timeline of Jersey City area railroads
- List of bridges, tunnels, and cuts in Hudson County, New Jersey
- List of crossings of the Hackensack River
- List of NJT moveable bridges
- List of fixed crossings of the North River (Hudson River)
Sources
- "Lower Passaic River Restoration Project Commercial Navigation Analysis" (PDF). (2nd Revision). United States Army Corps of Engineers. July 2, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- "Historic Bridge Survey (1991–1994)". NJDOT. 2001. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places". NJ DEP - State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- "Masonry and Metal The Historic Bridges of Bergen County, New Jersey" (PDF). Richard Grubb and Associates. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 10, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- "33 CFR 117.739 - Passaic River". Code of Federal Regulations. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
updated to July 1, 2010
- "Section 117.739 - Passaic River" (PDF). Code of Federal Regulations Title 33 - Navigation and Navigable Waters Volume: 1. Government Publishing Office. July 1, 2002. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- Report of the Assembly Committee Appointed to Inquire into the Condition of the Bridges over the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers in the Counties of Union, Essex, Hudson (Report). Trenton: New Jersey Assembly. 1865.
- "Bridges over the Passaic River". Passaic River Basin. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- "Drawbridge Schedules". NJDOT. April 12, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- "Bridgehunter: Passaic River". Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- "Bridgesnyc". Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- "FAQS about Recreational Boating on the Lower Passaic River". Passaic River Boat Club. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
- Jag9889 (August 5, 2007). "Passaic River Bridges". Flickr. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - "National Bridge Inventory Database". Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- "Passaic River, New Jersey" (PDF). Report of Channel Conditions 100 to 400 Feet Wide (ER 1130-2-306). US Army Corps of Engineers. September 14, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
- "Route 3 Passaic River Crossing". NJDOT. August 11, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
- "Acquakanonk Bridge". Revolutionary War in New Jersey. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
- Olsen, Kevin K. (2008), A Great Conveniency A Maritime History of the Passaic River, Hackensack River, and Newark Bay, American History Imprints, ISBN 9780975366776
- DeLeuw, Cather and Company Engineering Science, Inc. (prepared for NJ Transit and NJDPA) (1991). Historic Railroad Bridge Survey (Report).
{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Survey, U. S. Coast and Geodetic (May 8, 1918). "United States Coast Pilot: Atlantic Coast, Section B, Cape Cod to Sandy Hook". U.S. Government Printing Office – via Google Books.
wikipedia, wiki, encyclopedia, book, library, article, read, free download, Information about List of crossings of the Lower Passaic River, What is List of crossings of the Lower Passaic River? What does List of crossings of the Lower Passaic River mean?