The High Bridge crossing the Harlem River between Manhattan and the Bronx

Tunnel, bridge & industryManhattan

High Bridge, the Roman-Style Aqueduct Over the Harlem River

High Bridge is a 19th-century arched span over the Harlem River that links Washington Heights in Manhattan with the Highbridge section of the Bronx. It opened in 1848 as part of the Croton Aqueduct and reopened to pedestrians and bicycles in 2015 after more than four decades closed. It is a quiet, little-known way to cross between two boroughs, with a water tower and a park at the Manhattan end.

Built to carry drinking water, not people, this stone bridge sat closed for decades. It is now the oldest major bridge in New York City and a walking route between Manhattan and the Bronx.

WhereManhattan (Washington Heights, Highbridge Park) and the Bronx (Highbridge)

TypeHistoric aqueduct bridge, now a pedestrian and bicycle walkway; city landmark

Best forEngineering history, skyline and river views, a walk between two boroughs

Getting thereOpen to the public on foot or by bicycle; entrances at Highbridge Park in Manhattan and near University Avenue in the Bronx; check the current opening hours and access rules before you go

The history of High Bridge and the Croton Aqueduct

Manhattan once had many small springs, streams and ponds, but by the 18th century they had been polluted or lost as the city grew. After a cholera epidemic in 1832 and the Great Fire of 1835 showed how weak the system of wells and cisterns was, the city turned to the Croton River, north of the city. The Old Croton Aqueduct, a 41-mile (66 km) gravity-fed channel, began carrying water in 1842, and it had to cross the Harlem River somewhere.

How to do it was fiercely debated. Engineer David Bates Douglass favored a tall bridge, but his successor John B. Jervis argued for a cheaper low-level crossing, which supporters of a tall bridge and of river navigation opposed. In 1839 the New York State Legislature settled the argument by requiring a span at least 100 feet (30 m) high, or a tunnel. Jervis then designed a masonry bridge, and the architect James Renwick Jr., later known for St. Patrick’s Cathedral, took part in the design. The contract went to a firm led by George Law, Samuel Roberts and Arnold Mason.

Construction was slow. Foundations of oak pilings were sunk into the river mud, the piers were clad in Maine granite, and by the aqueduct’s opening in 1842 only a temporary pipe crossed the river, topped by an experimental fountain. The finished bridge, with fifteen semicircular arches in the manner of a Roman aqueduct, brought water across the Harlem River from 1848. It was never meant for vehicles. A third, much larger pipe was added in 1861–1862, and a walkway followed in the 1860s. A water tower on the Manhattan side was built between 1866 and 1872 to raise water pressure.

The 20th century was less kind. The New Croton Aqueduct made the old system obsolete, and in the 1920s the stone arches in the river were judged a hazard to boats. Demolition of the whole bridge was approved in 1923, but the city chose instead to replace only the five river arches with a single steel arch, a job completed around 1928. Water stopped flowing across the bridge in the mid-20th century, and by around 1970 the structure had been closed to everyone as a safety concern. The city designated it a landmark in 1970.

A long campaign by local groups and the city’s parks department brought the bridge back. Restoration began after several years of planning and delays, and High Bridge reopened on June 9, 2015, as a walkway restored to its original brick design. The water tower, which had never been open to the public, reopened after a renovation in November 2021.

Little-known facts about High Bridge

High Bridge is the oldest major bridge in New York City, and the last bridge built across the Harlem River before the Bronx was annexed to the city in 1874.
The design resembles a Roman aqueduct, and one source names the Pont du Gard in France as an inspiration.
Before the permanent pipes were ready in 1842, a temporary pipe crossed the river with an experimental fountain about 115 feet (35 m) high at its midpoint.
The arches were faced with Maine granite from at least ten quarries in New York and New England.
The pipes dip below the rest of the aqueduct at both ends of the bridge, so the water crosses the river as a siphon.
The walkway’s brick paving is laid in a herringbone pattern, and embedded plaques tell the story of the aqueduct.

Tours near High Bridge

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

Manhattan Architecture Photography Tour

★ 5 (27 reviews) · 3 h

See details ›

Iconic New York City Photography Tour

★ 4.9 (67 reviews) · 4 h

See details ›

3 Hour NYC Photography Workshop

★ 5 (54 reviews) · 3 h

See details ›

New York Icon Photography Tour led by a Local Photographer

★ 5 (160 reviews) · 2.5 h

See details ›

Visiting High Bridge today

The bridge is open to pedestrians and bicycles, not to cars, and the restored walkway is accessible for wheelchairs. Check the current opening hours and access rules before you go.
On the Manhattan side, the nearest park entrance is at Amsterdam Avenue and 172nd Street in Highbridge Park. On the Bronx side, the walkway continues to University Avenue and 170th Street, where a long staircase of 168 steps drops toward the street.
From the deck there are views of the Harlem River, the Washington Bridge and the Bronx shoreline, with a seating area at the Bronx end.
The High Bridge Water Tower, nearby in Highbridge Park, was renovated and reopened to the public in November 2021, and the city parks department has organized tours of it. Check the current tour schedule.
The bridge connects Highbridge Park in Manhattan with the Bronx’s Highbridge Park; the two parks together form a green link between the boroughs.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where High Bridge is

Photos of High Bridge

Historic view of the High Bridge looking east from the Manhattan side

The gate at the Manhattan end of the High Bridge in an 1848 illustration

Illustration of the Croton Aqueduct Bridge, also called the High Bridge, across the Harlem River, from an 1893 book

Historic illustration of the Harlem River with the High Bridge, the Washington Bridge and the water tower

Historic view of the Harlem River looking east from the Washington Bridge

Questions

Can you walk across High Bridge?

Yes. It reopened to pedestrians and bicycles on June 9, 2015, and links Manhattan and the Bronx. Check the current opening hours and access rules before you go.

Why is it called High Bridge?

It was built high above the Harlem River, about 140 feet (43 m), because the state legislature required a tall crossing so that boats could pass beneath it. The original name was the Aqueduct Bridge.

What was High Bridge originally used for?

It carried water from the Croton Aqueduct across the Harlem River to supply Manhattan. A walkway was added in the 1860s, but the bridge never carried vehicles.

Is High Bridge really the oldest bridge in New York City?

It is the oldest major bridge in the city and the oldest of those leading into Manhattan. Some sources cite it as the city’s oldest standing bridge of any kind.

Why was High Bridge closed for so long?

The bridge was closed to all traffic by the early 1970s over safety concerns. Sources differ on exact dates; restoration began after years of planning and it reopened in 2015.

How do I reach High Bridge from Manhattan?

The Manhattan entrance is in Highbridge Park in Washington Heights, near Amsterdam Avenue and 172nd Street. Check current transit and access information before you go.