William J. Moreau Popolopen Bridge

The William J. Moreau Popolopen Bridge lays in the shadows of the Bear Mountain Bridge and is usually overlooked. It was opened in 2002 to connect Fort Montgomery to Fort Clinton.

The original bridge at this site was a pontoon bridge that was constructed across the creek to connect Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton during the American Revolution. This was eventually bypassed by an iron bridge which was constructed further up the creek.
In the early 2000’s, it was proposed that the pontoon bridge be reconstructed across the river. The idea was supported by the Governor, and cadets at nearby West Point were tasked with designing and testing different types of pontoon bridges.

It was ultimately decided that a pontoon bridge would be too expensive to maintain and would be too seasonal. Instead, a suspension footbridge would be built. The bridge consists of diagonal braces to provide stiffening and uses a fiber composite deck instead of a wooden deck due to its lighter weight, greater durability and reduces maintenance requirements.  

On June 27, 2014, the bridge was dedicated to William J. “Bill” Moreau, who was the Chief Engineer at the New York State Bridge Authority for 27 years. Moreau is recognized for his dedication to maintenance, function, and safe bridge design.