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A movement began urging construction of a bridge between Newburgh and Beacon.  When a steel shortage developed in 
the early 1950's, pressure mounted to suspend construction at Kingston until the larger Newburgh span was built.   Superintendent Tallamy ruled, though, that a Kingston bridge had precedent 
over one at Newburgh.  In addition, when the Newburgh bridge was later approved, Senator Wicks included a proviso that construction at Newburgh could not begin until work was 
completed at Kingston.  On January 21, 1954, the contract for rough grading of the approaches was let to Grandview Construction Co. of Mt. Vernon.  Work at the Kingston site began in July 1954 with the grading of the approach ramps.
The substructure was started by the Merritt-Scott & Chapman Corporation in 1954, and contracts for the superstructure were awarded to Harris Structural Steel Company that same year.
While the bridge was under construction, there were other decisions to be made.  There were suggestions to name the bridge for President Martin Van Buren, the "Veterans Memorial" Bridge, the George Clinton, or the Livingston family.  The Bridge Authority finally decided to identify the bridge by its geographical location: The Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge.
The first river piers for the bridge were placed in August of 1956 on the Kingston side of the river.  The concrete bases for the supports were poured 2-3 weeks later.  Half the piers for the new bridge were completed by the following year.  The foundations for the piers were 
constructed using cofferdams.  Huge sheets of steel were driven into the riverbed to form a pen that extended above 
water level, and then a hose was dropped into the pen to pour a concrete base beneath the river.  Water was pumped out of the now-sealed pen, and workers were able to go down and begin constructing the pier on top of the concrete floor.
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