The Third Avenue Bridge in the Bronx was stuck open when its steel expanded in the heat. It’s just one of many ways that infrastructure—from roads to trains to power lines—is being affected by rising temperatures.
When the temperature in New York City hit 95 degrees Fahrenheit earlier this week, it marked the hottest day of the year in the city so far. And that heat had an unexpected side effect: It caused the steel on the Third Avenue Bridge in the Bronx to swell, forcing the bridge to remain stuck in its open position and impeding road traffic during rush hour. It’s just one more way that extreme heat is affecting our daily lives, and another example of the impacts of climate change on infrastructure.
