Day 513

For decades, Con Edison supplied electricity to Randall's Island through two sets of cables encased in concrete beams spanning the Bronx Kill beneath the railroad viaduct approach to the Hell Gate Bridge. Because the beams sat so close to the water, kayakers and canoers could only pass under them during a narrow window when the tide was just right.

A couple of years ago, the little red bridge you see above (and can see much more clearly here) was built to support the future Randall’s Island Connector, a multi-use path that will link the South Bronx to Randall's Island. (As you may have suspected, the bridge is not yet open to the public; it lacks a deck on which people can walk.) An array of new Con Ed conduits, partially visible above, is attached to the bottom of the bridge, clearing the high tide level by a few feet. To the relief of local boaters, the utility company finally got rid of its old concrete beams sometime in the last year or so, rendering the kill fully navigable for small recreational watercraft.