Washington Bridge (Harlem River)

Washington Bridge
Main arch over Harlem River; secondary arch over Metro-North Railroad and Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx
Coordinates	40°50′48″N 73°55′40″W / 40.84667°N 73.92778°W / 40.84667; -73.92778
Carries	6 lanes of roadway; two sidewalks
Crosses	Harlem River
Locale	Manhattan and the Bronx, New York City
Maintained by	New York City Department of Transportation
Characteristics
Design	Arch bridge
Total length	2,375 feet (724 m)
Longest span	510 feet (160 m)
Clearance below	134 feet (41 m)
History
Opened	December 1, 1888; 135 years ago (December 1, 1888)
Statistics
Daily traffic	57,647 (2016)[1]
Washington Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
New York State Register of Historic Places
New York City Landmark No. 1222
Location	Between Amsterdam and Undercliff Aves., New York, New York
Coordinates	40°50′42″N 73°55′29″W / 40.84500°N 73.92472°W / 40.84500; -73.92472 (Washington Bridge)
Area	2.5 acres (1.0 ha)
Built	1886 (1886)
Architect	Charles C. Schneider and Wilhelm Hildenbrand
NRHP reference No.	83001645[2]
NYSRHP No.	06101.001643
NYCL No.	1222
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	September 22, 1983
Designated NYSRHP	August 18, 1983[3]
Designated NYCL	September 14, 1982
Location

The Washington Bridge is a 2,375-foot (724 m)-long arch bridge over the Harlem River in New York City between the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. The crossing, opened in 1888, connects 181st Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Washington Heights, Manhattan, with University Avenue in Morris Heights, Bronx. It carries six lanes of traffic, as well as sidewalks on both sides. Ramps at either end of the bridge connect to the Trans-Manhattan Expressway and the Cross Bronx Expressway, and serves as a connector/highway to the highway itself.

The two-hinged arch bridge was designed by Charles C. Schneider and Wilhelm Hildenbrand, with modifications to the design made by the Union Bridge Company, William J. McAlpine, Theodore Cooper, and DeLemos & Cordes, with Edward H. Kendall as consulting architect. The bridge features steel-arch construction with two 510-foot (160 m) main arches and masonry approaches. The bridge is operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation. It once carried U.S. Route 1, which since 1963 has traveled over the Alexander Hamilton Bridge. The Washington Bridge is designated as a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Washington Bridge had been planned since the 1860s, but progress was delayed for two decades due to various disputes. The final plan was chosen and modified after an architectural design competition in 1885, and work began in July 1886. Pedestrians with passes could use the bridge by December 1888, and the Washington Bridge was being used for regular travel by the next year, though an official opening ceremony never took place. At the Washington Bridge's completion, it was widely praised as an architectural accomplishment of New York City. Automobiles were able to use the bridge after 1906. After the George Washington Bridge across the Hudson River, connecting to New Jersey in the west, was completed in 1931, the Harlem River crossing served as a connector for traffic between New Jersey and the Bronx. The Alexander Hamilton Bridge was completed in 1963, diverting traffic from the Washington Bridge. After a period of deterioration, the Washington Bridge underwent reconstruction from 1989 to 1993.