The Hell Gate Bridge, originally the New York Connecting Railroad Bridge or the East River Arch Bridge, is a 1,017-foot steel through arch railroad bridge in New York City.

Why was the Hell Gate Bridge built?

Engineers after 1890 knew that the Pennsylvania Railroad was evaluating opportunities for expansion, including construction of a monumental railroad bridge to span the Hell Gate waterway, to connect New England with Long Island through, and into, New York City and westward.

How did Hell's Gate get its name?

Hell's Gate National Park is named after a narrow break in the cliffs, once a tributary of a prehistoric lake that fed early humans in the Rift Valley. It received the name "Hell's Gate" by explorers Fisher and Thomson in 1883. ... The park was officially established in 1984.