The first known bridge to Wards Island was a wooden
drawbridge between East 114th Street in Manhattan to the northwest corner of the island. The bridge was built in 1807 to serve a cotton business run by Philip Milledolar and Bartholomew Ward and lasted until 1821, when it was destroyed by a storm. Pedestrian access to Randalls and Wards Islands was established with the opening of the
Triborough Bridge by the
Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority in 1936. Although plans to construct a separate pedestrian bridge to provide Manhattan residents better access to the new Wards Island Park were developed by
Robert Moses in 1937, construction of the bridge did not begin until 1949. The design of the East River Houses in Manhattan, which were constructed from 1940 to 1941, included a requirement to provide room for an approach to the proposed footbridge. Designed by
Othmar Hermann Ammann and built by the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the footbridge was originally known as the Harlem River Pedestrian Bridge. The Wards Island Bridge opened to pedestrians on May 18, 1951 and was completed at a cost of $2.1 million. The bridge was later opened to bicycles in 1967. Although the bridge was originally painted in a red, yellow, and blue color scheme, it was repainted in sapphire blue and emerald green in 1986. Restricting access to the bridge during the overnight hours and winter months traces back to concerns from residents of the
East River Houses in the 1980s and 1990s over patients from the
Manhattan State Psychiatric Center who frequently crossed the bridge into Manhattan. Tenants believed that the patients were responsible for increased levels of
crime in their neighborhood, although others were unhappy with the limited park access. In 1999, the New York City Department of Transportation proposed that the bridge be converted to a fixed bridge status. However, this proposal was delayed due to the clearance necessary to float construction equipment up the Harlem River for reconstruction projects associated with the
Third Avenue,
Willis Avenue, and
145th Street Bridges. The Wards Island Bridge underwent a $15 million reconstruction between 2010 and 2012, which included replacement of the walkway deck, steel
superstructure, and electrical and mechanical control systems. with the overhaul project costing $16.8 million. == References ==