Broadway Bridge (Manhattan)

Broadway Bridge (Manhattan)

The Broadway Bridge in New York City crosses the Harlem River Ship Canal between Inwood and Marble Hill, both parts of Manhattan (the latter on the mainland and attached to the Bronx because of the rerouting of the Harlem River). It is named the Broadway Bridge because it carries Broadway, which is designated as US 9 here. The bridge also carries the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line above the road. Immediately to the north of the bridge along this line is the Marble Hill – 225th Street station.

Before the Harlem River was rerouted, the bridge in the area was named Kings Bridge, crossing the river on the border between Marble Hill and the Bronx. The Boston Post Road and Albany Post Road crossed this bridge. A later bridge, opened on January 1, 1895, spanned the canal.

The present Broadway Bridge (opened on July 1, 1962) has a navigable channel 304 feet (93 m) wide providing 136 feet (41 m) of vertical clearance when the bridge is in the open position. In the down position, the bridge provides 24 feet (7.3 m) of vertical clearance.

An earlier incarnation of the Broadway Bridge, that was being replaced by a new double-level structure**, was reused to create the University Heights Bridge. In June 1906, the old bridge was floated down the river and placed on a newly-constructed center pier. After all the approaches and other construction were completed, the new University Heights Bridge opened to traffic on January 8, 1908.

For 2008, the New York City Department of Transportation, which operates and maintains the bridge, reported an average daily traffic volume in both directions of 33,266; having reached a peak ADT of 42,555 in 1990.