The Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge –
because its Manhattan end is located between 59th and 60th
Streets – and officially titled the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge,
is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that
was completed in 1909. It connects the neighborhood of Long
Island City in the borough of Queens with Manhattan, passing
over Roosevelt Island. It carries New York State Route 25 and is
the westernmost of the four East River spans that carry a route
number: NY 25 terminates at the west (Manhattan) side of the
bridge, which once carried NY 24 and NY 25A as well. The bridge
is flanked on its northern side by the freestanding Roosevelt
Island Tramway. In December 2010, the city announced that the
bridge would be renamed in honor of former Mayor Ed Koch from
the Queensboro Bridge to the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge. The
renaming decision was unpopular among Queens residents and
business leaders, and many locals continue to refer to the
bridge by its older name. Serious pr