The Details

The Franklin D Roosevelt Memorial Bridge is a full international transit that connects Maine's Lubeck and Canada's Campobello Island in New Brunswick. Despite the name, it is often referred to as the Mead-Hudson Bridge because it spans the Hudson River.

History of the bridge

Franklin D Roosevelt was initiated by the New York State Department of Public Works, laying the groundwork for the project. The preparation and planning phase lasted several years, and it was not until 1933 that the structure was officially opened. Ralph Modjeski was the author of the design. From the beginning, it was named after the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt, who was governor at the time. In addition to the plaque, the park of the same name on Campobello Island, where the president spent his summer, is also arranged.

It was originally a toll bridge, with tolls initially coming from the east approach, but was moved to the west side after another section opened in the late '60s. For a while, the toll was double for drivers going to the east side, while cars going back were free. The tolls at other crossings also changed. The fee is now mandatory for all road users.

Features of the bridge

The Franklin D Roosevelt Bridge crosses the Hudson and is the only connection between a Canadian island and the North American mainland. The other routes run only by water (ferry crossing). That said, ferry traffic on the Hudson is seasonal, so the roads are constantly congested. Average traffic per day can reach 200,000 vehicles or more.

The bridge crosses two major roads, U.S. 44 and 55, with a total length of 3,000 feet. The bridge itself has a unique construction and a stylish design for its time: the trusses were specially built at the top of the structure, while in other projects this structure was placed only at the bottom, under the deck.

Border crossing

At each terminus of the Mid-Hudson, Franklin D Roosevelt Bridge are U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Canada Border Services Agency stations. They form the Lübeck-Campobello border crossing. Although a direct ferry crossing has been in operation for a long time, the strengthening of controls and installation of customs stations did not occur until 1962.