Callahan Bridge

The Callahan Bridge as viewed from Staunton in GTA III.

“

A major link-way in our beautiful island city.

”

— GTA III Website.

The Callahan Bridge (also known on street signs in GTA III as the West Port Bridge) is a 4 lane (2 lanes in each direction) suspension bridge, connecting southwestern Portland Island with east-central Staunton Island in Liberty City.

History

Callahan Bridge is the only bridge connecting Staunton and Portland, hence being an essential transport link between the two islands. Like the Shoreside Lift Bridge, the bridge effectively serves as a barrier to prevent the player from venturing into other islands prematurely (referred as the "broken bridge" method of cutting players off from new areas of the city), and will only be usable once the player completes the mission "Last Requests". While not accurately based on any prominent bridges in New York City, the Callahan Bridge does bear some resemblance to the Wards Island-Queen span of the Triborough/Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in terms of structural design but not in the strictest sense, featuring only one vertical suspender instead of two. In location, it is based on the Manhattan Bridge.

The Bridge as viewed from air.

In Grand Theft Auto III, the bridge was severely damaged in late 2001 by a bomb during an attack in the beginning of the game by the Colombian Cartel on a police convoy that was crossing the bridge at the time. The Cartel attacked the convoy in order to kidnap one of the prisoners it was transporting, and unwittingly set Claude and 8-Ball free as well. As the Portland string of missions are performed, the bridge remains largely uncrossable until the completion of "Last Requests", when the bridge is finally repaired and is operational once again.

As the Porter Tunnel is not completed in Grand Theft Auto Advance, the Callahan Bridge serve as the only link between Portland and Staunton. The bridge design receives a degree of simplification to accommodate the game system's limited hardware capabilities.

In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, the bridge was enduring construction circa 1998 and it was not finished yet, so modes of transportation between Portland Island and Staunton Island was limited to ferries before the bridge is partially completed to the point the player can jump over the remaining gaps using a ramp. The expected completion of the bridge as provided by the information pickup at the Portland end of the bridge is "May 1998".

Exploits

Despite being temporarily unusable in GTA III, the player can in fact cross the damaged bridge on foot even before completing the first mission by carefully jumping from one dangling bar to another, allowing them access to both Staunton and Shoreside Vale. While the Shoreside Lift Bridge remains non-functional, the Staunton-Shoreside Vale link of the Porter Tunnel is not sealed off until the Callahan Bridge is fixed; the Portland end remains fenced up.

It is much more difficult, if not impossible, to cross the bridge from Staunton to Portland using the same method, and as such, requires the player resort to others means, such as returning to Portland using a boat or a Dodo, committing suicide (thereby transporting them back to the Sweeney General Hospital in Portland) or being arrested (transporting them to Portland LCPD station).

Gallery

The damaged Callahan Bridge in GTA III, as viewed from Portland prior to "Last Requests".

Callahan Bridge under construction in GTA Liberty City Stories.

Sign showing that the Beta name was West Port Bridge.

Callahan Bridge beta version in GTA III. Note that it has 2 towers like a traditional suspension bridge.

File:GTA III and LCS Callahan Bridge

Trivia

• In the beta version of GTA III, Callahan Bridge had two suspension towers.
• In one of the beta pictures of drawings about Liberty City, there was no Callahan Bridge.
• The bridge name is a reference to Harry Calahan from the Dirty Harry Films.
• In GTA: Liberty City Stories, crossing the bridge requires navigating a jump. If done with a suitably powerful vehicle, this scores an insane stunt jump bonus for the player, although in both cases there are obstacles that need to be avoided soon after.
• In GTA: Liberty City Stories, the map shows the Callahan Bridge with no underconstruction kinds (and looks like to be able for transportation). However, in game, the Callahan Bridge has two cranes and some empty spaces, but they aren't show on the map.
• In GTA: Liberty City Stories, the mission you must complete in order to cross the bridge is 'Driving Mr. Leone'.
• in GTA III beta version, Callahan Bridge were named West Port Bridge, this sign can be seen in GTA: Liberty City Stories, however the name is painted white maybe because the bridge isn't finished yet until May 1998.

See also

• The Dukes-Charge Island span of the East Borough Bridge, another bridge in GTA IV featuring seemingly similar bridge designs as the Callahan Bridge.