2. Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges is the longest vertical lift bridge open to motor traffic in North America
Robert Moses considered developing Jamaica Bay as a port in his plan for the Marine Parkway Bridge. This is reflected in the bridge’s dramatic vertical lift span that allows for the passage of marine vessels under the bridge. The bridge is raised approximately 100 times per year in a four-person operation that requires oncoming vehicular traffic to stop for twelve minutes.
The bridge can be raised to approximately 150 feet above the water to allow the passage of vessels. When it was built, it was the longest lift bridge in the world at 4,022 feet. Now, bridges, including the 4,396-foot Delair Bridge, have surpassed it as the longest lift bridge in the world. To this day, the Marine Parkway bridge is still the longest vertical lift bridge open to motor traffic in North America.
