Grade separation, Gennesee St., Utica, New York

Does anyone know when the Gennesee Street Grade separation bridge was built? The company my father worked for built the bridge. I'm thinking that it was probably around 1930.

I think it may originally have been when Union Station was built ca. 1914 but would have to check some old photos and newspaper articles. There was another bridge that would have been newer than circa 1914 construction that was there until the early 1970's or thereabouts. What I believe is that the first bridge dated back to at least the Union Station project, then it was updated with a new bridge sometime in the late 1920's - early 1930's and that bridge replaced by about 1974.

I suspect some Utica area enthusiasts / historians may be able to shed better light on this.

1978 Historic Structure report on Union Station has a map dated 1907 which shows Gennesee crossing 8 or 9 tracks at grade with the Mohawkriver about 150 feet north of the NYC&HRRR station .

According to the report, the Chamber of Commerce hired landscape architect Frederick Olmstead to, among other things, review the railroad's plan for the Gennesee overpass adjacent to Union Station. He made several suggestions to improve traffic flow - primarily elevating Baggs square and moving its landing point further to the south. The railroad had planned to land Gennesee about 19' north of Main st.


Olmstead also crtiticized the station layout and placement, calling the planned entrance (and now the current entrance) similar to a back door. In conjunction with his proposal to elevate Bagg's Square Olmstead suggested redesigning the station such that the entrance door would front on Gennesee St. The additional changes, though an improvement, were not implemented by the railroad. ( I imagine the owners of Baggs Hotel and the Hieber & Co. building would want a lot of $$$ for the prime real estate between the station site and Gennesee St.)


According to the report the overpass was completed in 1912.