Ed Loedy, a successful architect was born in Hungary and began living in Poughkeepsie when he was 15. Ed can remember sitting on the banks of the Hudson admiring the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge, but it was not until a fire closed the bridge in 1974 that Ed had his eureka moment.
The Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge
Ed Loedy's City on the Bridge
The Poughkeepsie Railroad bridge built in 1888 was the first bridge to cross the Hudson below Albany. It is a massive steel structure that sits 212 feet above the Hudson and towers its neighboring Mid Hudson Bridge.
Ed's idea included residences, offices, restaurants, and museums as well as a walkway. Ed thought that by encapsulating the steel structure, the need for maintenance would be greatly reduced.
Walkway over the Hudson Opens October 3, 2009 Find out more at walkway.org To learn more about the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge check out Bridging the Hudson: The Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge and its Connecting Rail Lines by Carleton Mabee.
