15 lines
960 B
Plaintext
15 lines
960 B
Plaintext
---
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name: "Borden Avenue Bridge"
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subtitle: "One of only four U.S. bridges left that opens by sliding sideways"
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date: 2026-07-18
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shortlist: true
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link: "https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/borden-avenue-bridge"
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linkText: "atlasobscura.com"
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source: "Atlas Obscura"
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topics: [travel-and-places, history-and-archives]
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tags: [new-york, bridge, engineering]
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description: "The 1908 Borden Avenue Bridge in Long Island City opens not by swinging or lifting but by retracting diagonally along rail tracks — one of only four retractile bridges left in the United States."
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---
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Most drawbridges swing or lift. The Borden Avenue Bridge, opened in 1908 over Dutch Kills in Long Island City, does neither — it retracts, rolling diagonally backward on narrow rails that look borrowed from a railroad, clearing the channel by sliding out of the way entirely. It's one of only four retractile bridges left standing in the United States, last opened for boat traffic in 2005.
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