University Heights Bridge

The University Heights Bridge is a steel-truss revolving swing bridge across the Harlem River in New York City. It connects West 207th Street in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan with West Fordham Road in the University Heights neighborhood of the Bronx. The bridge is operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation.

The bridge carries two lanes of traffic in each direction, along with a sidewalk on its southern side. The bridge has three masonry piers supporting the steel approach spans. The sidewalk features four shelters with cast-iron supports while the bridge deck has decorative iron railings and two stone pavilions.

The bridge structure was originally installed further to the north, carrying Broadway across the Harlem River Ship Canal. It opened in 1895 as the Harlem Ship Canal Bridge and was relocated southward to University Heights in 1908. Over the following decades, the University Heights Bridge carried streetcar and bus service. By the late 20th century it was in disrepair. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the University Heights Bridge as a city landmark in 1984, and it was completely rebuilt between 1989 and 1992.

The University Heights Bridge, a swing bridge over the Harlem River, connects West 207th Street in Inwood, Manhattan, with West Fordham Road in University Heights, Bronx. The movable central span pivots around a small masonry island in the middle of the river. The movable section is designed as a metal truss bridge composed of numerous Howe trusses and Warren trusses. The University Heights Bridge carries the Bx12 local and Select Bus Service bus routes operated by MTA New York City Transit. Between 2000 and 2014, the bridge opened for vessels 114 times.

The bridge was designed by consulting engineer William Hubert Burr, who later became consulting engineer at several other bridge and tunnel projects, mostly in the New York City area. Burr was posthumously described as "one of the engineers who helped to raise the level of American building technology to the status of exact science". Burr also gave credit to Alfred Pancoast Boller, who was responsible for the bridge's aesthetics, and George W. Birdsall, chief engineer of the Department of Public Works. Boller had been involved in the design of several other Harlem River bridges, including the Madison Avenue Bridge and the Macombs Dam Bridge, and was also a consulting engineer or designer for numerous other bridges across the world. He had stated in 1877 that, by including ornamental detail in bridge designs, "the appearance of a roadway-bridge having sidewalks is very much enhanced, and at a very small cost." Birdsall appears to have been given ex officio credit, by virtue of his position as Public Works chief engineer.

From 1895 to 1905, the bridge structure was situated on the Harlem River Ship Canal further north, during which time it was known as the Harlem Ship Canal Bridge. It carried Broadway between the Inwood and Marble Hill neighborhoods of Manhattan. Prior to the construction of the Harlem River Ship Canal, Marble Hill was part of Manhattan Island, and the Spuyten Duyvil Creek made a tight curve around the northern shore of Marble Hill, connecting the Hudson River on the west shore of Manhattan Island with Harlem River on the east shore. Marble Hill was separated from Manhattan Island when the canal opened in 1895.

The Harlem Ship Canal Bridge measured 551 feet (168 m) from end to end, or 483 feet (147 m) excluding stone abutments. It was constructed with four sections supported by three masonry piers. The two central sections comprised the swing span, which pivoted around a small masonry island in the middle of the canal. On either side of the masonry island were navigable openings that measured 104 feet 1 inch (31.72 m) wide at mean high water. The swing span was approached by two 100-foot-long (30 m) approach structures, as well as stone abutments. The bridge had a total width of 50 feet (15 m), with a roadway of 33.5 feet (10.2 m) and two sidewalks of 8.25 feet (2.51 m). The bridge weighed 1,200 short tons (1,100 long tons; 1,100 t), with the machinery comprising one-sixth of the weight.

The University Heights Bridge is composed of five sections. The easternmost section and the two westernmost sections are fixed-deck Warren trusses, while the central sections comprise the swing span above the Harlem River. The westernmost approach span was made for the 207th Street location, while the other spans were carried over from their original Broadway location. According to the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), which maintains the bridge, its total length is 1,566 feet (477 m), including its approach spans. The bridge carries four lanes for vehicular traffic and a sidewalk on the southern side for pedestrians. The deck previously had two sidewalks, each 5.67 feet (2 m) wide. The northern sidewalk was eliminated during the 1989–1992 renovation and the southern sidewalk widened to 8 feet (2.4 m).