This past Saturday, April 1, marked the 100 year anniversary of the first passenger train crossing The Hell Gate Bridge.

The Hell Gate Bridge is a 1,017-foot steel through arch railroad bridge in New York City. The bridge crosses the Hell Gate, a strait of the East River, between Astoria in Queens and Randall’s and Wards Islands in Manhattan. Astoria's now-iconic bridge was created to connect the New York and the Pennsylvania Railroad with New England and the New Haven Railroad.

Pictured Above: Hell Gate bridge under construction circa 1915 (source; Wikipedia)

Construction began in 1912 and it was first opened to rail traffic in March of 1917. The Hell Gate was designed by civil engineer Gustav Lindenthal who played a significant role in building the Manhattan, Queensboro and Williamsburg bridges.