About the Image(s)

Constructed around 1930, the Bayonne had a vertical clearance of 150 ft which was more than enough to accommodate the tallest warship of the day and was the longest steel arch bridge. However, over the years, the waterway (Kill Van Kull) became most important as the entrance to Port Newark which is the largest seaport on the East Coast. And in the 2000’s the Panama Canal was widened to make way for very large container ships which would not fit under the bridge. Options included making another bridge, making a tunnel, or doing nothing. The approved engineering solution was to raise the road to provide 220 ft of clearance and in 2019 the modified bridge was completed. For me as a bicyclist, the improvement provided a 12 ft bike-pedestrian lane separated from traffic across the span which provides an easy way to explore Staten Island.

The photo is titled ‘A Vital Link”, the vital link is not the bridge but the Kill Van Kull under it. Shot July 21 2025 during an airport run (Newark) to drop off a friend in controlled airspace of max altitude 100 ft approval via LAANC. I wanted the photo to be of the bridge, so a smaller ship was fine, sooner or later I’ll get a shot of one of the PanMax ships passing under. And if anyone asks (Pete!), YES I did fly underneath the bridge. The location is about 1.5 hr drive from our summer home.

DJI Air 2S at 1/1500 s; f/2.8; ISO 100; 8.4 mm. Processed with Affinity 2.0 levels adjust, Shadows/Highlights, HSL shift.