Everything about East River totally explained
» This article is about the East River in New York City. For other uses, see East River (disambiguation).
The
East River is a tidal
strait in
New York City. It connects
Upper New York Bay on its south end to
Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates
Long Island (including the boroughs of
Queens and
Brooklyn) from the island of
Manhattan and
the Bronx on the
North American mainland. In reference to its connection to
Long Island Sound, it was once also known as the
Sound River.
History
The river was formed 11,000 years ago at the end of the
Wisconsin glaciation . The distinct change in the shape of the river channel between the lower and upper portions is evidence of this glacial activity. The upper portion (from
Long Island Sound to
Hell Gate, running largely perpendicular to the glacial motion, is wide, meandering, and has deep narrow bays on both banks, scoured out by the glacier's movement. The lower portion (from Hell Gate to
New York Bay runs north-south, parallel to the glacial motion. It is much narrower, with straight banks. The bays that exist (or existed before being filled-in by human activity), are largely wide and shallow.
The Channel
The East River is dangerous to people who fall in or attempt to swim in it, although the water is cleaner than it has been in decades. Anyone in the channel would find few places to climb out. According to the marine sciences section of the city Department of Environmental Protection, the channel is swift, with water moving as fast as four knots (just as it does in the
Hudson River on the other side of Manhattan). That speed can push casual swimmers out to sea. A few people typically drown in the rivers around New York City each year. The strength of the current foiled a 2007 effort to tap it for
hydroelectricity.
Historically, the lower portion of the river (separating Manhattan from Brooklyn) was one of the busiest and most important channels in the world, particularly during the first three centuries of New York City's history. The
Brooklyn Bridge, opened in 1883, was the first bridge to span the river, replacing frequent ferry service. (Some passenger ferry service remains between Queens and Manhattan.)
The
Bronx River drains into the East River in the northern section of the strait.
North of
Ward's Island, it's joined by the
Bronx Kill. Along the east of Ward's Island, at approximately the strait's midpoint, it narrows into a channel called
Hell Gate, which is spanned by both the
Triborough Bridge and the
Hell Gate Bridge. On the south side of Ward's Island, it's joined by the
Harlem River.
Newtown Creek on Long Island drains into the East River, forming part of the boundary between Queens and Brooklyn.
The East River contains a number of
islands, including:
- Upper section
- Lower Section
Crossings
Bridges
The river is spanned by eight
bridges, which from north to south are:
Throgs Neck Bridge
Bronx-Whitestone Bridge
Rikers Island Bridge (From Queens to Rikers Island only)
Hell Gate Bridge
Triborough Bridge (East River Suspension Span)
Roosevelt Island Bridge (east channel only)
Queensboro Bridge
Williamsburg Bridge
Manhattan Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge.
Tunnels
The river is spanned by thirteen tunnels. From north to south, along with uses as of July 2006:
63rd Street Tunnel (Trains of the subway service)
60th Street Tunnel (Trains of the subway services)
53rd Street Tunnel (Trains of the subway services)
Steinway Tunnel (Trains of the subway service)
Queens Midtown Tunnel (Vehicular traffic of Interstate 495)
East River Tunnels (Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak trains from Penn Station to points north and east)
14th Street Tunnel (Trains of the subway service)
Rutgers Street Tunnel (Trains of the subway service)
Cranberry Street Tunnel (Trains of the subway services)
Clark Street Tunnel (Trains of the subway services)
Montague Street Tunnel (Trains of the subway services)
Joralemon Street Tunnel (Trains of the subway services)
Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (Vehicular traffic of Interstate 478)Further Information
Get more info on 'East River'.
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