High Bridge (New York City)

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High Bridge
Three of the bridges that cross the Harlem River are visible in this photo of the river: High Bridge (with the steel arch that replaced the masonry spans over the river visible) in the foreground; the Alexander Hamilton Bridge (part of Interstate 95); and the Washington Bridge furthest away. In this photo, looking north, the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan is on the left and the Bronx is on the right)
Crosses	Harlem River
Locale	Manhattan and the Bronx, in New York City
Maintained by	New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
Design	Arch bridge
Opening date	1848

The High Bridge over the Harlem River as seen in 1890.

The High Bridge is a stone masonry arch bridge, with a height of almost 140 feet (40 m) over the Harlem River, connecting the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. It is the oldest surviving bridge in New York City. The bridge was built as part of the Croton Aqueduct, which carried water from the Croton River to supply the city. It was designed by the aqueduct's engineering team led by John B. Jervis. James Renwick, Jr., who later went on to design New York's landmark Saint Patrick's Cathedral on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, participated in the design.

The Croton Aqueduct had to cross the Harlem River at some point, and the issue of how it would do so was one of the major decisions that had to be made in the design of the system. A tunnel under the river was considered, but tunneling technology was in its infancy at the time, and the uncertainty of pursuing this option led to its rejection. This left a bridge, with the Water Commission, engineers and the public split between a low bridge and a high bridge. A low bridge would have been far simpler, faster, and cheaper to construct. When concerns were raised to the New York Legislature that a low bridge would obstruct passage along the Harlem River to the Hudson River, a high bridge was the option ultimately chosen.

As designed, the High Bridge had the appearance of a Roman aqueduct, but in the 1920s, a steel arch about 450 feet (135 m), was added to replace the several masonry arches that spanned the river. The bridge was started in 1837, and completed in 1848. It has a length of well over 2,000 feet (600 m). The eastern end is located in The Bronx near the western end of West 170th Street, and the western end is located in Highbridge Park in Manhattan, roughly parallel to the end of West 173rd Street. The bridge is operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

High Bridge soon after completion. The left side arches were replaced with one large arch to ease navigation

The bridge has been closed to all traffic since the mid 1960s, after someone threw a rock and injured passengers on a Circle Line tourist boat underneath. Since that time the bridge has fallen into disrepair. In November 2006 it was announced that the bridge will reopen after a $20 million renovation project.