The High Bridge is the oldest span in all of New York City, predating the Brooklyn Bridge by some thirty years. Constructed in 1848, the arched, Roman-style bridge was built as part of the Croton Aqueduct system, to carry water from the Croton River to the city, which was then still far to the south. In its original form, the High Bridge was built from stone for its entire 1,450-foot span, but in 1928, to make it simpler for maritime navigation, the five masonry arches that carried the bridge over the river were replaced by the single steel arch you see today.Exactly why and when the High Bridge was closed is mysterious, with no official records available and people's memories putting it anywhere from 1960 to 1970. Either way, it's not as if the locals haven't been up there crossing the span, urban exploration-style, for many years anyway—or at least, that's what plenty of people claimed. But now it's legal and legit, and pretty darn fun.
Works Cited
“The High Bridge.” High Bridge Project : NYC Parks, www.nycgovparks.org/park-features/highbridge-park/planyc.
Bronx Children's Museum, www.bronxchildrensmuseum.org/lowdown-on-the-high-bridge-reviews.
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