Central Park’s Bow Bridge reopens with new wood decking
All photos courtesy of Central Park Conservancy
The iconic Bow Bridge in Central Park reopened this week after a two-month-long renovation project. Led by the Central Park Conservancy, the project replaced the decking with new, more durable wood and bolstered several beams under the deck to stabilize them and prevent future corrosion. The Conservancy researched historic photographs of the bridge, originally constructed in 1862, to identify the number of planks and the decking size of the bridge floor.
Designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, the cast iron bridge’s name comes from its signature bow shape. A popular spot for photographs, the bridge was constructed by the Bronx-based iron foundry Janes, Kirtland & Co., the same company that built the dome of the U.S. Capitol Building.
Last November, the Conservancy revealed that the bridge would temporarily close due to extensive wear and tear on its wood decking. Before the most recent renovation project, the bridge was last repaired in 1974.
When the bridge closed, it marked the second location within Central Park temporarily closed to visitors. In early October, the Conservancy announced the park’s Great Lawn would close through April 2024 due to damage sustained from the Global Citizen Festival and heavy rain in September.
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