Marine Parkway Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge
The Marine Parkway Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge was opened by the Marine Parkway Authority in 1937 to provide access to the Rockaway Peninsula, which previously could be reached only by ferry or by a circuitous route around the eastern end of Jamaica Bay. When it was built, the bridge's vertical lift span was the longest in the world. The tapering, curled tops of its towers added a whimsical aspect to the bridge's design.
The Marine Parkway Authority also built the Jacob Riis Parking Field and cooperated with the city's Department of Parks in the reconstruction and expansion of Jacob Riis Park. After a series of mergers, the Marine Parkway Authority became part of the Triborough Bridge Authority in 1940.
Today, the land at both ends of the bridge is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. On the Brooklyn side is Floyd Bennett Field and a direct connection to the Shore Parkway and Flatbush Avenue. The Queens side in the Rockaways has seen considerable residential and recreational development since the bridge's construction.
Thousands visit the
area's beaches and parklands each year, producing a 50 percent traffic
increase on the bridge in the summer months.
In 1978, the bridge was renamed for Gil Hodges, top 500 home run hitters
of all time. Hodges kept a residence in Brooklyn after his team moved to Los
Angeles. He also played for the New York Mets at the end of his career, and
managed the Mets from 1968 until his death in 1972, including victory in
the 1969 World Series.