Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series #36:The Stewart Avenue Bridge in East Meadow Updated:2/18/16
The 36th bridge in the series documenting the 60 bridges built by the Long Island Motor Parkway is the Stewart Avenue Bridge in East Meadow. It is classified as a highway bridge since Stewart Avenue was over the Motor Parkway.
One of the original 16 Motor Parkway bridges built for 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race, this bridge is very well-documented.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Bridge Plans
The construction drawing of the Stewart Avenue Bridge. The design of the bridge was typical of those used by the parkway. Height clearance would be in the 12-14-foot range with a minimum width of 26 feet.
A blueprint of the bridge.
Belcher-Hyde Map
The bridge continued the Motor Parkway route around the Ladenburg farm.
Building the Bridge- 1908
A rare photo showing workers digging the below grade area for the Stewart Avenue Bridge. The excavation of more than 10 feet was done totally by hand.
Views from the Stewart Avenue Bridge Looking North & West
The Stewart Avenue Bridge was only a few hundred feet from the "Meadowbrook" Bridge.
This was the view from the Stewart Avenue bridge looking back on the Meadowbrook Bridge during the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes.
The view from the bridge during the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race.
1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race
A much bigger crowd showed up for the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race.
The #18 Alco Black Beast in front of the Stewart Avenue Bridge.
The scene was captured by the great artist Peter Helck.
The #14 FIAT driven by Edward Parkwer. Finished second to the winning Alco.
1938 Aerial
Note the severe route of Stewart Avenue just before the bridge.
1949 Aerial
The bridge was taken down shortly after the Motor Parkway closed in 1938.
Now
The Motor Parkway is now Salisbury Park Drive. The view is looking east at the intersection at Stewart Avenue (north) and a service road for Eisenhower Park. There are no remnants of the bridge or the parkway in this area.
The view looking west shows a similar curve seen when the Motor Parkway was in business.
In 2015, a historic marker was placed near the site of the Stewart Avenue Bridge by Nassau County as part of the Motor Parkway trail.
Check out Wayne Consolla's online Motor Parkway map, to find the location of the Stewart Avenue Bridge.
Comments
Howard, or anyone have a clue about the mystery writing on the grass of the ‘38 aerial? Looks like R I S _ _ I R I, possibly R E A L T O R, R O O S E V E L T ?
Hi Frank, not sure where you are looking. Top? Bottom? Left? Right?
Where do you see the writing Frank? I don’t see any on the 38 aerial.Which foto are you talking about?
Ted: On the ‘38 aerial showing the semi circle bend of the motor pkwy, along the top fifth of the photo inside Ladenburg’s farm, there is huge lettering on the grass. I was thinking it may have been used as a landmark for approaching aircraft landing in nearby airports. If no one sees this, I will reduce my medication doses immediately. ;p
Ted: Forget the writing. I believe it’s a photo id tag that was stamped along the top edge after the shot was taken. There are vertical lines all over the aerial that coorespond to each of the letters.
There is definitly some type of lettering. You can easily make out two Rs and one E. It’s strange that they placed it in an area where a road intersects it.
Note on the construction drawing the inclusion of 4’ radius spandrels which were not incorporated in the actual bridge. Were there ever any such spandrels on any masonry (or masonry-faced) MP bridge? Sam, III
Frank Thanks,at least that’s cleared up,it had me wondering
Sam: Spandrels that came to mind were/are still on the major Queens bridges from N Hemp Tpke to the newer Winchester Blvd., but these are below motor parkway traffic. can’t recall any others.