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| In 1946 the New York State Legislature instructed the Bridge Authority to begin operating the Kingston-Rhinecliff Ferry. After 190 years of service, the ferry had been discontinued by its private owners in December of 1942 due to decreased traffic because of WW II gas rations. The New York State Bridge Authority purchased |  |
| the necessary equipment and facilities for $240,000, and began operating the ferry in May, 1946. | |
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| In January of 1944, Senator Arthur Wicks from Kingston and Senator Hatfield of Dutchess teamed up on legislation authorizing a $50,000 fund for a survey of the area. The bill was passed by the Senate and Assembly, but vetoed by Governor Thomas Dewey pending proof that a bridge there was necessary. Several other attempts for executive approval were made, until in March, 1947, Governor Dewey signed a Wicks-Hatfield act authorizing the Authority to study the necessity of a bridge crossing near Kingston, and construct such a bridge upon certification of its necessity by the Superintendent of Public Works. In July of 1949, the Superintendent, Bertram D. Tallamy declared a Kingston span a "needed highway facility," giving the go-ahead to begin planning of the bridge. | |
| There were other obstacles ahead of the bridge project, though. First, the initial cost of the bridge was estimated at $14,000,000, or $6,000,000 more than the Authority was permitted to finance. In 1951 the Authority's bonded debt limit was increased to $30,000,000 by the legislature, giving them sufficient funds to begin construction. | |
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There were further problems with the site of the span, and then with obtaining rights of way, especially on the eastern approach. The final location of the bridge and the navigational clearance were eventually approved in 1952. |
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The originally proposed site for the bridge was located between Kingston Point and downtown Rhinebeck. Due to political and economic factors, though, the site was moved 3 miles north to its present location. The structure of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge was initially a suspension bridge very similar to Mid-Hudson, right down to the design of the | |
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towers. But a suspension bridge requires very stable bedrock on each shore in order to anchor the main cables. When the location of the bridge was changed, the design had to be |
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| modified accordingly. Instead, a continuous under-deck truss bridge was chosen to span the river. | ||
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