High Bridge (New York City)

About

The High Bridge (originally the Aqueduct Bridge) is a steel arch bridge connecting Manhattan and the Bronx in New York City, New York, United States. Rising 140 ft (43 m) over the Harlem River, it is the city's oldest major bridge, having opened as part of the Croton Aqueduct in 1848. The eastern end is located in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, near the intersection of University Avenue and 170th Street, and the western end is located in Highbridge Park in Manhattan, near the intersection of Amsterdam Avenue and 172nd Street. Operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the bridge is a New York City designated landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The High Bridge, measuring 1,450 feet (440 m) long, spans a valley that contains the Harlem River. The original bridge had fifteen stone round arches, each measuring either 50 or 80 feet (15 or 24 m) long. The five arches over the Harlem River were replaced by a single 450-foot (140 m) steel arch between 1926 and 1928. The bridge originally carried water pipes, and gatehouses at both ends controlled the flow of water in these pipes. In addition, the High Bridge Water Tower (which is still extant) pumped water to the Highbridge Reservoir at the Manhattan end.