The High Line Gets a New Bridge

A shrill whistle signaled the action to begin.

The first section of the wood bridge was slowly hoisted up by two cranes lifting in tandem. Workers in hard hats grabbed one end, securing it to a Y-shaped steel support.

Several hours later, the second piece of the bridge was dropped into place.

The 128-ton bridge, suspended 25 feet over Dyer Avenue, is unlike any other component in the park. It was built with 163 beams of Alaskan yellow cedar from British Columbia.

They were “assembled like an Erector set,” said Patrick Hazari, who oversaw the construction.

Though its pale yellow hue stands out against the streetscape, it will weather over time to a light gray.

The timber bridge joins another one made of steel, which was built last fall along West 30th Street, and has lush plantings including 63 trees, 90 shrubs and more than 5,200 grasses and perennials.

Together, the two bridges form an L-shaped connector between the High Line and the sprawling Manhattan West public plaza across from the train station.

The $50-million connector, which opens in late June, will be a “green, safe, accessible, and inspiring” alternative to the congested streets below, said Alan van Capelle, the High Line’s executive director.

“This is going to be a much more pleasant and exciting way to get to different parts of our city on the West Side.”