This July, Roslyn Landmark Society trustee Mitchell Schwartz completed a 40-page book on the complete history of the William Cullen Bryant Viaduct and the Roslyn Bypass. Entitled The Pulaski of Roslyn: The History of the William Cullen Bryant Viaduct & the Roslyn Bypass, c. 1924–2024, the book’s name reflects on how the creation of this critical stretch of Route 25A has been compared by many to the creation of the Pulaski Skyway in New Jersey due to both structures' similar purposes, designs, and histories.
The first book ever written specifically on the history, planning, and engineering of this highway and its half-mile-long bridge, Schwartz's book provides an in-depth analysis of the highway’s history, starting from when rumors first started flying of its planning in the 1920s up until the completion of the viaduct replacement project and renaming, from the Roslyn Viaduct to the William Cullen Bryant Viaduct, in the 21st century. It answers in great detail how and why the highway and its famed viaduct were originally built- in addition to why and how the original viaduct was replaced with the current bridge, and how the construction of the highway forever changed the Roslyn area and the regional transportation network.
Schwartz chronicles early proposals and widespread opposition local residents and businesses initially expressed against building the highway, plus how the worsening congestion through Roslyn eventually led the project's initial foes to become some of its most vocal supporters. It thoroughly analyzes the planning, engineering, and construction of the highway, challenges faced in completing the massive public works project, and how it improved regional transportation and alleviated gridlock through the town. The book also details the success of the highway, major developments and projects during the following decades, and the eventual replacement of the original Bryant Viaduct – including a detailed analysis of the monumental project's planning, development, construction, and renaming of the bridge in honor of famed Roslyn poet William Cullen Bryant.
Schwartz dedicates this book to the Roslyn Landmark Society, the Bryant Library, Roslyn School District, Long Island Studies Institute at Hofstra University, New York State Department of Transportation, and the Villages of Flower Hill and Roslyn – the two villages through which the Bryant Viaduct runs. He also dedicates it to his father, Alan Schwartz, who would take him on weekend morning rides through Roslyn as a child to watch the current bridge being built.
The Pulaski of Roslyn: The History of the William Cullen Bryant Viaduct & the Roslyn Bypass, c. 1924–2024, written by Mitchell Schwartz, is available for free on the Roslyn Landmark Society's website. You can download a PDF copy through the following link below:
- The Pulaski of Roslyn The History of the William Cullen Bryant Viaduct the Roslyn Bypass c 1924 2024 (pdf)
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