Alexander Hamilton Bridge

The Alexander Hamilton Bridge carries I-95 traffic from the George Washington Bridge across the Harlem River (at 179th Street) to the notorious Cross Bronx Expressway. The bridge is supported by a single 555-foot steel arch that clears the river at 135 feet above mean high water. The bridge opened on January 15, 1963, the same day as the Cross Bronx Expressway

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View from the North on the Washington Bridge

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Deck view from the East

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View from the Northeast

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View from the North

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View from the East

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East approach

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Manhattan apartments above I-95

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Short section of I-95 in Manhattan between the Alexander Hamilton Bridge and the George Washington Bridge

On my initial excursion, I was surprised to find a largely abandoned section of Highbridge Park between the Washington Bridge and the Alexander Hamilton Bridge that includes a spooky but festive red brick promenade with sensual curves that drug dealers love so much.

3/15/2005 10:25 AM
View from the North on the Washington Bridge

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Stone arch under the Washington Bridge

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View from the North in the park

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The promenade looking North

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The path looking North

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The path to the bridge looking South

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The path to the bridge looking South

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The path to the bridge looking South

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Another path to the promenade on the South side of the bridge

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The promenade

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Under the bridge looking East

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Under the bridge looking South

There is a stair and tunnel structure between the Alexander Hamilton Bridge that leads from Highbridge Park down to a narrow pathway on the West side of the Harlem River Drive. The structure is largely abandoned and obviously predates the Alexander Hamilton Bridge. It matches the architecture of a similar structure by the George Washington Bridge - perhaps part of the infrastructure built around the Washington Bridge when it was constructed in 1888.

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North of the bridge

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Structure viewed from the East

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The upper balcony

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Stairway down from the park to the upper balcony

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Spooky tunnel down to the lower balcony

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Opening at the bottom of the tunnel

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Stairway to nowhere on the North side of the lower balcony

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The lower balcony

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Looking South from the path leading North along Harlem River Drive

The approaches to the Alexander Hamilton Bridge are a nightmarish maze of spaghetti viaducts. The brick and concrete arched approaches from the Southwest are especially interesting. The smell of campfires indicates refuge for a few homeless people. A gentlemen in fatigues approached me menacingly, but only asked for a cigarette (I don't smoke) and didn't seem too upset that I couldn't accomodate him.