TheNew York Timescalls the High Bridge " the greatest public work in New York City ’s account . " Today that exploit of nineteenth century engineering — the one-time survive bridge in the metropolis — will reopen after more than 40 old age of neglect .
When it first open up in 1848 , the Bridge , which connect 173rd Street in the Bronx to hundred-and-seventieth Street in Upper Manhattan , served as the final wooden leg of a 40 - Roman mile journey south for clean water from upstate . The bridge deck was part of the Croton Aqueduct organisation design by John Jervis . It relied on soberness and a cautiously engineered track that dropped 13.25 inches every mile to transport operational piss to Manhattan ’s upper stretches . From there , the piddle flowed into two reservoirs that made the nineteenth century expansion of the city possible .
In 1864 , a pedestrian itinerary was tot up to the beautiful1,200 - substructure nosepiece , which stand 116 feet above the Harlem River and drew New Yorkers and tourists north for 24-hour interval trip and boat ride around what was then the land . When the the aqueduct was close in 1958 , the High Bridge remained open under the jurisdiction of the metropolis ’s Parks Department . That hold up about a decade , until rising crime in neighborhoods on both incline of the bridge drove urban center officials to close it indefinitely .
About 20 class ago , 10 - year - old Maaret Klaber give a presentation to the local residential district instrument panel ’s park commission requesting that the bike path along the Harlem shoreline be reopened . Aftereditorialsechoing her cry began appearing in papers around the city , a restoration labor was launch . In the tenner since , percentage of the path have been acquit and reopened at various times . The High Bridge luck has been the most involved .
Three mayoral administrations ( and $ 61.77 million ) later , the project is consummate , and the only alone pedestrian bridge connecting Manhattan to the mainland will open to the world today . To get a sentience of what the pass will look like , check out this video pullulate back in 2009 :
The eyeshot from atop HighbridgefromSTREETFILMSonVimeo .
To regain out more about visiting the High Bridge , clickhere .
