preserve the bridge in the face of plans by the New York City Department of Transportation to demolish it. They were unsuccessful, and the bridge was replaced with a simple service road. In 1937, plans were developed by Robert Moses to construct a pedestrian bridge across the Harlem River from East Harlem, providing Manhattan residents with easy access to the new Wards Island's Park. However, actual construction of this Wards Island Bridge, also known as the 103rd Street Footbridge, did not begin until 1949. Designed by Othmar Hermann Ammann and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the footbridge was originally known as the Harlem River Pedestrian Bridge. This bridge opened to pedestrians on May 18, 1951 and was completed at a cost of $2.1 million. It gives access to Wards Island Park from East Harlem, which has few public green spaces. In November 2015, a ground-level footbridge over the Bronx Kill, called the Randalls Island Connector, opened, forming the second link from Randalls Island to the Bronx. Construction of this bridge was proposed in 2006, but did not begin until 2013. See also List of New York City parks Notes and references Footnotes References Further reading External links Randall's Island Park Alliance History of Randall's Island History of Wards Island Map from 1885 showing Little Hell Gate Harlem River History of Manhattan Islands of Manhattan Islands of the East River Neighborhoods in Manhattan