The 3rd Ave. swing bridge in the Bronx is stuck. Officials are blaming overheated machinery. The 120 year-old structure crosses the Harlem River between the Bronx and Manhattan. Boats on the scene have sprayed the bridge with river water to cool the parts critical to locking into place where the bridge connects to the roadway.
The bridge is occasionally opened to allow ships to pass on either side of the manmade island upon which it pivots.
Although it is warm--today saw a high of 89--the city regularly reaches much higher temperatures in July. It seems unlikely that mere double-digit summer heat is the culprit.
This is not the first time the bridge has been stuck in the open position. In 1985, a gear in the motor which turns the bridge shattered, causing traffic mayhem. In 1999, a lower section of the bridges timbers caught fire, causing some electrical and cosmetic damage.
The bridge only carries one-way traffic, from the Bronx into Manhattan. It opens roughly six times per year, primarily to inspect the swing mechanism and assure it is in working order.
