THERE are several 'bridges' in the area of Inwood, manhattan
Executive summary
Inwood, at Manhattan’s northern tip, is served by multiple bridges that link it to the Bronx and to Marble Hill (technically part of Manhattan) as well as to surrounding riverfront parklands; chief among them are the Broadway Bridge, University Heights Bridge, Henry Hudson Bridge and the Washington Bridge, and these crossings have layered histories and differing functions (vehicular, rail, pedestrian) [1] [2] [3] [4]. Sources vary in emphasis—city agencies and infrastructure lists prioritize function and location while travel guides and local histories highlight design, views and neighborhood identity—so any claim about “several bridges” in the Inwood area is well supported but should note differences in what counts as “in the area” [1] [5] [6].
1. The Broadway Bridge: the local lift that ties Inwood to Marble Hill
The Broadway Bridge is a vertical-lift structure that spans the Harlem River Ship Canal and connects Inwood on Manhattan Island to Marble Hill on the mainland, carrying Broadway (U.S. Route 9) on a lower deck and subway tracks above, making it both a road and rail link with a long municipal history dating to canal-era projects and city construction plans in the 1890s [2] [6]. Historical reporting shows multiple rebuilds and design changes because the bridge had to accommodate evolving river navigation and the IRT subway extension, a reminder that the crossing is as much a transport workhorse as a neighborhood landmark [2] [6].
2. University Heights Bridge: a swing span serving local streets
Approximately one mile south of the Broadway Bridge, the University Heights Bridge connects West 207th Street in Inwood with West Fordham Road in the Bronx; the NYC DOT describes it as a swing-type bridge that sits in the immediate northern Manhattan corridor and functions as a local vehicular crossing rather than a long-distance arterial [3]. City infrastructure sources and historical listings treat it as part of the cluster of Harlem River bridges that serve upper Manhattan neighborhoods, underlining that Inwood’s bridge network is not only grand arch landmarks but also smaller, operational crossings [3] [5].
3. Henry Hudson Bridge: the arch to the west connecting through parkland
On Inwood’s western edge, the Henry Hudson Bridge is a double-deck steel arch that spans Spuyten Duyvil Creek and links Inwood to the Bronx along the Henry Hudson Parkway; it carries six traffic lanes plus a pedestrian walkway and dates from the 1930s when it opened as a major regional connector designed by David B. Steinman [4]. Popular guides and neighborhood write-ups emphasize the bridge’s parkland approaches and pedestrian access—points often foregrounded by tourism-oriented outlets—yet official descriptions confirm its structural role as a tolled, multi-deck arterial with historical significance [4] [7].
4. Washington Bridge and nearby crossings: the broader Inwood corridor
Beyond the three immediate crossings, sources list the Washington Bridge (around 181st Street) among the Harlem River bridges serving the Washington Heights–Inwood corridor, and historic bridge inventories and city lists treat these crossings as a network rather than isolated structures, with several receiving landmark status or historic attention [1] [5]. Not all well-known bridges cited in broader Manhattan bridge lists physically touch Inwood—examples like the High Bridge are historically significant but lie southward near West 170th Street—so “in the area” requires a loose geographic lens that includes adjacent Harlem River crossings and park connectors [8] [1].
5. How sources shape the count and why precision matters
Different sources emphasize different sets of bridges: neighborhood Wikipedia pages and NYC DOT infrastructure pages enumerate the locally relevant crossings and name Broadway, University Heights, Washington and Henry Hudson explicitly [1] [3], while travel and bridge-curation sites add color and comparative claims about views, bike access and historic status that can inflate perceptions of “famous” versus “local” bridges [7] [9] [10]. Reporting limitations: available sources document the principal crossings serving Inwood but do not constitute an exhaustive engineering inventory of every minor pedestrian span or privately owned structure in the area, so definitive counts beyond the named major bridges above would require a targeted DOT inventory or up-to-date GIS mapping not contained in the provided material [3] [5].