1908: The Inauguration of a Bridge Between Manhattan and the Bronx

January 8, 1908

New York City’s University Heights Bridge was officially opened to traffic. This bridge, which crosses the Harlem River, links West 207^th Street in Manhattan’s Inwood neighborhood with West Fordham Road in the University Heights section of the Bronx. 

Construction on this steel-truss revolving swing bridge began in 1903. The fixed and swing spans of the new bridge were previously part of the Harlem Ship Canal Bridge, which was located upriver and had been opened in 1895. Those spans had to be removed from the Harlem Ship Canal Bridge to allow for the construction of a heavier type of bridge there that could more safely carry a newly extended subway line serving the Bronx. The spans were transported on barges down the river for fitting onto the University Heights Bridge. 

The municipal officials on hand for the University Heights Bridge’s grand opening included George B. McClellan Jr. (1865-1940), who served as mayor of New York City from 1904 to 1909. (He was also the son and namesake of a Union Army general and U.S. presidential candidate during the American Civil War.) At 4:00 p.m. on the Bronx side of the bridge, McClellan ordered that the closed gates there be thrown open. He then declared that the University Heights Bridge was ready for traffic, and — along with others in his party — proceeded to walk across the new structure to the Manhattan side. 

In the decades since its opening, the 1,566-foot (477-meter)-long bridge has served as a vital connection between Manhattan and the Bronx for pedestrians, bicycles, and motor vehicles. In addition, trolley service along the bridge started in 1910 and continued for about three decades. 

The University Heights Bridge remains one of the oldest major bridges in New York City still in operation. It is also one of that metropolitan region’s earliest surviving swing-type bridges. This bridge is operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation, which extensively renovated the structure between 1989 and 1992.

Photo Credit: Public Domain

For more information on the University Heights Bridge, please check out https://structurae.net/en/structures/university-heights-bridge and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Heights_Bridge