Above is a rendering of the new modern bridge. According to the New York Times and the The New York State Department of Transportation, which is building the bridge, expects it to open at the end of 2016. The northern stretch of Riverside Park has long been an attraction for residents of Hamilton Heights. But getting to it is not easy.
The Manhattan neighborhood, perched on a bluff 50 feet above the Hudson River, is separated from upper Riverside’s ball fields, bike path and barbecue area by train tracks and the West Side Highway. But a new $24 million pedestrian bridge, which began construction this summer, will cross over the tracks and highway, allowing easier access for visitors using wheelchairs, toting sports equipment or pushing strollers.
State Assemblyman Herman D. Farrell Jr., who has represented the district for more than 40 years, had long heard from constituents about the frustrations of getting to the park on foot. There is currently a cumbersome way across at Riverside Drive and 148th Street; it involves a series of stairs — 122 steps in all — along with a bridge over the tracks and a tunnel under the West Side Highway.
Mr. Farrell secured $20 million in state funding for the project, which will involve a series of ramps, starting at West 153rd Street, on either side of a 270-foot bridge. “It’ll make it so that people can get there more easily, especially those with mobility issues,” he said on Friday during a visit to the construction site.
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