Carmine Liberta Memorial Bridge

The Carmine Liberta Memorial Bridge is a Warren Pony Truss bridge in New Paltz, New York. The bridge was built in 2016 and is the fourth bridge at this site. The first bridge was a wooden covered bridge, which was built in 1845. It was replaced by an iron bridge that was built in 1891, then by a steel through truss which was built in 1940 and refurbished in 1990. The current pony truss was built in 2016. Interestingly, the National Bridge inventory lists this as a reconstruction, not a new bridge.

The new bridge is seen as an environmentally friendly design, especially when it was compares to the previous bridge. The pony truss design allows for better views of the iconic Shawangunk Ridge and is also better at withstanding major weather events. It also has wide shoulders and a sidewalk, allowing for safer pedestrian and bicycle access. The bridge is constructed from a combination of galvanized steel on its understructure and weathering steel for its trusses. The weathering steel creates a more natural look for the bridge, but more importantly, it does not need to be painted. This removes the environmental concerns caused by peeling paint and reduces the maintenance costs for the bridge.

The bridge was dedicated to Carmine Liberta in 2008, with the new bridge continuing this dedication. Liberta was a lifelong resident of New Paltz and was a Korean War veteran. He had been active in local veterans' affairs and served as vice chair of the town Republican committee for 25 years.