Speaking to a packed gathering of happy High Bridge fans on January
11, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg presided over the
groundbreaking for the start of the long-dreamed-of restoration of the
pedestrian bridge, once the most famous element of the original Croton
Aqueduct. The festivities took place outdoors at Highbridge Park at
the Bronx end of the structure, today the city’s oldest bridge. The
year 2013 marks the 165th anniversary of the 1848 span, which has been closed to the public for 40 years.
The High Bridge was built to carry Croton water from the mainland,