Hudson Valley Bridge Celebrates 100th Birthday With Pop-Up Shop

At the time of its construction, it was the world's longest suspension bridge. Now, it's turning 100 years old and celebrating with its own pop-up shop.

In 1924 the Bear Mountain Bridge opened to the public. It was the first vehicular river crossing between New York City and Albany and the first suspended bridge to have a concrete deck.

While this marvel of engineering is said to have inspired the George Washington and Golden Gate bridges, it was actually built out of necessity.

During the 1910s, Bear Mountain State Park became a popular destination for families and those escaping the busy city by car. The traffic became just too much for ferryboats to handle, so the decision was made to construct the Bear Mountain Bridge.

Today, the bridge is operated by the New York State Bridge Authority and serves more than 7.8 million vehicles every year.

100th Anniversary Celebration for Bear Mountain Bridge

The New York State Bridge Authority has unveiled a special collection of  Bear Mountain Bridge Centennial merchandise to commemorate its 100th year in service.

A special pop-up shop is offering limited edition items with unique artwork that the NYSBA says " highlight(s) the beauty and exquisiteness of this iconic Hudson Valley landmark." Items include shirts, aprons, ornaments, hats, tote bags and even limited-edition framed prints.

The NYSBA is only selling these items for a limited time, and when they're gone they're gone. These items will only be sold through Monday, November 27. So, if you're doing holiday shopping for a bridge enthusiast or someone who just loves the Hudson Valley, you should probably head over to their website before these items are gone forever.