Tappan Zee Bridge (1955–2017)
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge, commonly known as the Tappan Zee Bridge, was a cantilever bridge in the U.S. state of New York. It was built from 1952 to 1955 to cross the Hudson River at one of its widest points, 25 miles (40 km) north of Midtown Manhattan, from South Nyack to Tarrytown. As an integral conduit within the New York Metropolitan Area, the bridge connected South Nyack in Rockland County with Tarrytown in Westchester County in the Lower Hudson Valley.
The Tappan Zee Bridge as seen from Tarrytown, 2007
Tappan Zee Bridge toll plaza, 1973, Photograph by Chester Higgins Jr.
The superstructure, which was constructed during a period of material shortages during the Korean War
The new Tappan Zee Bridge being constructed next to the original
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from structural steel, or box girders built from prestressed concrete.
The Pierre Pflimlin Bridge is a balanced cantilever made of concrete, shown here under construction.
The original style of cantilever bridge
The structural principles of the suspended span cantilever bridge
The Vejle Fjord Bridge is a concrete bridge built using the balanced cantilever method.