THE UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS BRIDGE – NEW YORK CITY

This handsome structure, crossing the Harlem River from 207^th Street in Manhattan to West Fordham Road in the Bronx, began life as a swing bridge across the Harlem Ship Canal at Knightsbridge Road in 1895 and was featured in the King Bridge Company catalogues of that era. While engineers William Burr and Alfred Boller are given credit for the design of the bridge, it appears that the actual construction of the 268 foot swing span was done by the King Bridge Company, under a subcontract with A. McMullen & Co., which is listed as the contractor in City records[1].

To make room for a larger bridge that would carry the Broadway subway line across the canal, this bridge was loaded on barges and floated to its present site in 1905 and reconstructed with new piers and approaches. The bridge was considered to be a significant engineering and architectural structure so that it was awarded landmark status in 1983 by the City’s Landmark Preservation Commission.[2] The bridge now serves both vehicular and pedestrian traffic moving between the Inwood Community in Upper Manhattan and the Fordham University area in the Bronx, and a visit to the bridge is well worth the experience.

The seven foot walkway on the south side of the bridge provides interesting views both of the bridge superstructure and of the Harlem River.

While much of the metal latticework in the superstructure has been replaced over the years, the basic design of the original structure has been kept, including the ornamental pinnacles seen above. The decorative iron railing is mostly original and is a tribute to the craft of the ironworkers of the Victorian age.

I had the opportunity to walk across the bridge on a sunny day in October of 2005 and was delighted to discover the visual effects caused by the interplay of the sun and shadows on the metal and water.

For pontists visiting New York City to take in the sights of the great historic bridges, a trip to the University Heights Bridge would provide a most intimate and pleasing glimpse of engineering artwork.

Allan King Sloan – October 2005