Fort Washington Pedestrian Bridge Shut Down For Inspections

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A pedestrian bridge providing access to Fort Washington Park in Washington Heights has been shut down by the city Parks Department out of "an abundance of caution," the department announced.

The Fort Washington Pedestrian Bridge — which provides safe passage over the Amtrak tracks on West 180th Street and the Hudson River Greenway — was closed for an inspection on Friday, Aug. 24, a Parks Department spokesperson said. The bridge, which is due for an upgrade, will be off-limits for park visitors "until further notice," the department announced.

The Parks Department will place signs at parks entrances to alert pedestrians and bicyclists to a detour path. Visitors should utilize the bridge on West 181st Street to access nearby streets and can enter the Hudson River Greenway by using the bridges on West 158th Street and the Henry Hudson Parkway or West 153rd Street and Riverside Drive.

The Parks Department is currently in the "procurement" phase of a $5.7 million project to reconstruct the Fort Washington Pedestrian Bridge. The design phase of the project launched in 2009 and was just recently completed in July, despite a targeted 2015 completion date, according to the Parks Department. The average procurement phase is completed in 9 months and is followed by construction, which takes 12 to 18 months on average.

The new Fort Washington Pedestrian Bridge will be ADA accessible and will feature a steel and concrete deck and fencing that will allow visitors to take in park views while remaining safe, the Parks Department announced.

Rendering of redesigned bridge courtesy Parks Department