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HIGHBRIDGE
The Highbridge is the oldest bridge in New York City. With a height of 140 ft above the Harlem River, this uptown highline connects the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx.
Constructed in 1848, the highbridge was once part of the Croton Aqueduct, which distributed water from the Croton River 10 miles south to NYC. It was originally designed as a stone arch bridge but it had a resemblance of a Roman aqueduct. By 1929, the stone arches were replaced with steel. Usage of the highbridge to distribute water to the city ended in 1949.
A pedestrian walkway was originally built in 1864. Around this time, the highbridge water tower was built which overlook the distribution of water from the river to a nearby reservoir (Present day Highbridge Pool & Play Center), which then transported water to the tower's 47,000 gallon tank.
By the 1970s, the highbridge was closed to the public due to lack of maintenance and vandalism. It reopened in 2015 after being closed for over 45 years and extensive planning and restoration.