Ward's Island Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Wards Island Bridge, also known as the 103rd Street Footbridge, is a pedestrian bridge
crossing the Harlem River
between Manhattan Island and Wards Island in New York City
. The vertical lift bridge has a total of twelve spans consisting of steel
towers and girder
s. It only carries pedestrian
and bicycle
traffic.
On the Manhattan side of the river, the bridge is located at East 103rd Street, between Exits 14 and 15 of the FDR Drive
. The bridge is accessible from the East River Esplanade and a pedestrian overpass across the FDR Drive to the East River Houses apartment complex in Spanish Harlem
. The bridge connects to the southwestern corner of Wards Island and provides access to the many playing fields and scenic waterfront
of Randall's
and Wards Island Park.
The Wards Island Bridge is available for use from April through October during daylight hours. During the months from November through March, the bridge is kept in the "open" position and cannot be accessed.
between East 114th Street in Manhattan to the northwest corner of the island. The bridge was built in 1807 to serve a cotton business run by Philip Milledolar and Bartholomew Ward and lasted until 1821, when it was destroyed by a storm.
Pedestrian access to Randall's and Wards Islands was established with the opening of the Triborough Bridge by the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority
in 1936. Although plans to construct a separate pedestrian bridge to provide Manhattan residents better access to the new Wards Island's Park were developed by Robert Moses
in 1937, construction of the bridge did not begin until 1949. Designed by Othmar Hermann Ammann
, the footbridge was originally known as the Harlem River Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge was built by the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority and given to New York City.
The Wards Island Bridge opened to pedestrians on May 18, 1951 and was completed at a cost of $2.1 million. The bridge was later opened to bicycles in 1967. Although the bridge was originally painted in a red, yellow, and blue color scheme, it was repainted in sapphire blue and emerald green in 1986.
Restricting access to the bridge during the overnight hours and winter months traces back to concerns from residents of the East River Houses in the 1980s and 1990s over patients from the Manhattan State Psychiatric Center
who frequently crossed the bridge into Manhattan. Tenants believed that the patients were responsible for increased levels of crime
in their neighborhood.
In 1999, the New York City Department of Transportation proposed that the bridge be converted to a fixed bridge status. However, this proposal was delayed due to the clearance necessary to float construction equipment up the Harlem River for reconstruction projects associated with the Third Avenue, Willis Avenue
, and 145th Street
Bridges.
The Wards Island Bridge is scheduled to undergo reconstruction between April 2010 and April 2012, which will include replacement of the walkway deck, steel superstructure, and electrical and mechanical control systems.
"Games" by Synergy. The picture was created from a series of nighttime long-exposure
photograph
s.
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
crossing the Harlem River
Harlem River
The Harlem River is a navigable tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles between the Hudson River and the East River, separating the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx...
between Manhattan Island and Wards Island in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The vertical lift bridge has a total of twelve spans consisting of steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
towers and girder
Girder
A girder is a support beam used in construction. Girders often have an I-beam cross section for strength, but may also have a box shape, Z shape or other forms. Girder is the term used to denote the main horizontal support of a structure which supports smaller beams...
s. It only carries pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
and bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
traffic.
On the Manhattan side of the river, the bridge is located at East 103rd Street, between Exits 14 and 15 of the FDR Drive
Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive
The Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive is a freeway-standard parkway on the east side of the New York City borough of Manhattan...
. The bridge is accessible from the East River Esplanade and a pedestrian overpass across the FDR Drive to the East River Houses apartment complex in Spanish Harlem
Spanish Harlem
East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, is a section of Harlem in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. East Harlem is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City. It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, in which...
. The bridge connects to the southwestern corner of Wards Island and provides access to the many playing fields and scenic waterfront
Waterfront
-In music:*Waterfront , a 1980s British pop duo*Waterfront Records, an Australian record label*"Waterfront" , by Simple Minds*Waterfront Blues Festival, in Portland, Oregon-In film and television:*Waterfront , directed by William A...
of Randall's
Randall's Island
Randall's Island is situated in the East River in New York City, part of the borough of Manhattan. It is separated from Manhattan island on the west by the river's main channel, from Queens on the east by the Hell Gate, and from the Bronx on the north by the Bronx Kill. It is joined to Wards...
and Wards Island Park.
The Wards Island Bridge is available for use from April through October during daylight hours. During the months from November through March, the bridge is kept in the "open" position and cannot be accessed.
History
The first known bridge to Wards Island was a wooden drawbridgeDrawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
between East 114th Street in Manhattan to the northwest corner of the island. The bridge was built in 1807 to serve a cotton business run by Philip Milledolar and Bartholomew Ward and lasted until 1821, when it was destroyed by a storm.
Pedestrian access to Randall's and Wards Islands was established with the opening of the Triborough Bridge by the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority
Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority
MTA Bridges and Tunnels, legal name Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, is a division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, that operates seven intrastate toll bridges and two tunnels in New York City...
in 1936. Although plans to construct a separate pedestrian bridge to provide Manhattan residents better access to the new Wards Island's Park were developed by Robert Moses
Robert Moses
Robert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County, New York. As the shaper of a modern city, he is sometimes compared to Baron Haussmann of Second Empire Paris, and is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of...
in 1937, construction of the bridge did not begin until 1949. Designed by Othmar Hermann Ammann
Othmar Ammann
Othmar Hermann Ammann was a American structural engineer whose designs include the George Washington Bridge, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and Bayonne Bridge.-Biography:...
, the footbridge was originally known as the Harlem River Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge was built by the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority and given to New York City.
Restricting access to the bridge during the overnight hours and winter months traces back to concerns from residents of the East River Houses in the 1980s and 1990s over patients from the Manhattan State Psychiatric Center
Manhattan State Hospital
The Manhattan Psychiatric Center is a New York-state run psychiatric hospital on 125th Street on Wards Island in New York City. As of 2009 it is licensed for 509 beds, but only holds around 200 patients. The current building is 17-stories tall....
who frequently crossed the bridge into Manhattan. Tenants believed that the patients were responsible for increased levels of crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
in their neighborhood.
In 1999, the New York City Department of Transportation proposed that the bridge be converted to a fixed bridge status. However, this proposal was delayed due to the clearance necessary to float construction equipment up the Harlem River for reconstruction projects associated with the Third Avenue, Willis Avenue
Willis Avenue Bridge
The Willis Avenue Bridge is a swing bridge that carries road traffic northbound over the Harlem River between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, United States. It connects First Avenue in Manhattan with Willis Avenue in the Bronx...
, and 145th Street
145th Street Bridge
The 145th Street Bridge, located in New York City, USA, is a four-lane swing bridge that crosses the Harlem River, connecting 145th Street and Lenox Avenue in Manhattan with East 149th Street and River Avenue in the Bronx. It once carried northbound New York State Route 22 and New York State Route...
Bridges.
The Wards Island Bridge is scheduled to undergo reconstruction between April 2010 and April 2012, which will include replacement of the walkway deck, steel superstructure, and electrical and mechanical control systems.
Cultural references
The bridge is featured on the cover of the 1979 albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
"Games" by Synergy. The picture was created from a series of nighttime long-exposure
Exposure (photography)
In photography, exposure is the total amount of light allowed to fall on the photographic medium during the process of taking a photograph. Exposure is measured in lux seconds, and can be computed from exposure value and scene luminance over a specified area.In photographic jargon, an exposure...
photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s.