Rouses Point Bridge

Rouses Point Bridge
Rouses Point Bridge
Coordinates	44°59'55" N, 73°20'54" W
Carries	US 2
Crosses	Lake Champlain
Locale	Rouses Point, New York
Official name	Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Curved concrete deck
Total length	6,000 feet (1,829 m)
Width	50 feet (15 m)
Clearance below	60 feet (18 m)
History
Opened	May 13, 1987 (1987-05-13)

The Rouses Point Bridge carries U.S. Route 2 (US 2) across Lake Champlain at the point where the Richelieu River begins its trek north to the St. Lawrence Seaway. Also known as the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge, it connects Rouses Point, New York in the extreme northeast corner of New York to Alburgh, Vermont.

Construction History

Old Rouses Point Bridge

Fort Montgomery

The first bridge over the river was a Parker through truss structure with a swing bridge center section. Built by the Lake Champlain Bridge Commission in the 1930s, much of the work was financed by the WPA.^[1] It was replaced by the current, over a mile long bridge, in May 1987.^[2] This two lane, concrete girder, deck bridge has pull-off lanes in each direction.^[3] Rising 60’ above the water at its mid-point , the bridge curves slightly to the north as it enters Vermont and provides an exceptional view of Fort Montgomery on the west (New York) side of the lake. This fort was partially dismantled in the late 1980s and much of its materials were used in the construction of the bridge.^[4] Fort Montgomery was in turn the successor of Fort Blunder which the United States accidentally built in Canada after the War of 1812.^[5]

References