High Bridge (New York City)
The High Bridge (originally the Aqueduct Bridge) is the oldest bridge in New York City, having originally opened as part of the Croton Aqueduct in 1848 and reopened as a pedestrian walkway in 2015 after being closed for over 45 years. A steel arch bridge with a height of 140 ft (43 m) over the Harlem River, it connects the New York City boroughs of the Bronx and Manhattan. The eastern end is located in the Highbridge section of 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 174th Street.
High Bridge | |
|---|---|
View of the closed bridge from Highbridge Park in 2008 | |
| Coordinates | 40.842308°N 73.930277°W |
| Carries | Pedestrians and bicycles |
| Crosses | Harlem River |
| Locale | Manhattan and the Bronx, New York City |
| Owner | City of New York |
| Maintained by | NYC Parks |
| Preceded by | Alexander Hamilton Bridge |
| Followed by | Macombs Dam Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch bridge |
| Total length | 1,450 ft (440 m) |
| Height | 140 ft (43 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1848 (original aqueduct) |
| Rebuilt | 1927 (partly rebuilt) 2015 (reopened as walkway) |
| Closed | c.1970–2015 |
| Statistics | |
High Bridge | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
New York State Register of Historic Places | |
New York City Landmark No. 0639 | |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001560 |
| NYSRHP No. | 06101.006666 |
| NYCL No. | 0639 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 4, 1972 |
| Designated NYSRHP | June 23, 1980 |
| Designated NYCL | November 10, 1970 |
| Location | |
High Bridge was originally completed in 1848 with 16 individual stone arches. In 1928, the five that spanned the Harlem River were replaced by a single 450-foot (140 m) steel arch. The bridge was closed to all traffic from around 1970 until its restoration, which began in 2009. The bridge was reopened to pedestrians and bicycles on June 9, 2015.
The bridge is operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.