List of arches and bridges in Central Park

The spans across the sunken "transverse" roads that carry crosstown traffic below the park were made of natural-looking schist, and are generally not counted as arches or bridges.

"Ornamental Bridges or Archways" were larger spans integrated into the greater landscape and were made of brick, stone, or cast iron.

The bridges were devised as part of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux's proposal for Central Park, the Greensward Plan.

[2] By the 1840s, members of the city's elite were publicly calling for the construction of a new large park in Manhattan.

[15][16][17][18] Central Park superintendent Frederick Law Olmsted worked with Calvert Vaux to create the "Greensward Plan", which was eventually decided as the winner of the contest.

[25] These paths would cross each other, necessitating bridges and arches interspersed through the park, each with unique designs ranging from rugged rock spans to Neo-Gothic cast iron.

The spans across the sunken transverse roads were made of natural-looking schist, with vaults of brick underneath;[25] these were not included in the final bridge count.

"Ornamental Bridges or Archways" were larger spans integrated into the greater landscape and were made of brick, stone, or iron.

[28] Most of the spans, except for the Bow Bridge, were designed to blend in with the surrounding environment, because Olmsted and Vaux wanted to maintain a pastoral ambiance within the park.

The three spans were built as per the suggestion of Olmsted and Vaux's landscape firm, which was no longer associated with Central Park at the time.

[39] Of the thirty-nine arches and bridges that were ultimately built,[2] thirty-five were designed by Vaux and Mould.

length height There are also eight "rustic" bridges in Central Park, the majority of which were made of unpainted timber.