CENTRAL PARK — The Bow Bridge — one of the most filmed and photographed spots in all of Central Park — has reopened after a three-month rehabilitation, according to the Central Park Conservancy.
The sandstone-colored cast iron bridge, named for its shape, was closed for most of the summer for maintenance and repair, including new wooden decking and a fresh paint job, according to the conservancy.
Adam Bierton, a master carpenter and decorator who worked on the bridge with Connecticut companies Blastech Inc. and Welding Works, documented his progress over the summer.
The bridge, which is 60 feet long and connects Cherry Hill to the Ramble, was made of cast iron in 1862, while other bridges in the park are made of stone.
When Central Park was in the planning stages, the commissioners requested a suspension bridge, but designer Calvert Vaux and his assistant Jacob Wrey Mould compromised with a refined, low-lying bridge, according to the conservancy.
The Bow Bridge was constructed by Janes, Kirtland & Co., the same company that constructed the dome of the Capitol in Washington, conservancy officials said.
Bierton, who is a Brooklyn resident, told DNAinfo that Blastech sandblasted the bridge to its bare metal skeleton a section at a time. Once it was stripped, Bierton and his crew applied several coats of primer paint and finally the top coat with colors mimicking sandstone.
Most of the other archways in the park were made with stone, he said.
Bierton said he painted over 2,000 details, including the bridge's eight cast-iron urns, which were installed by the Central Park Conservancy in 2008 as replicas of the originals that had disappeared by the early 1920s.
Welding Works hired Bierton and took care of the structural and remedial work, which included replacing the wooden decking, fixing several beams on the underside of the bridge and reinforcing approaches at either end of the stretch, according to the Central Park Conservancy.
The project cost roughly $500,000 and was privately funded. The project was a part of ongoing work at the lake and in the woodlands, the conservancy said.
The project took the six workmen 103 days to complete.
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The bridge officially opened Friday and on Sunday, he posted pictures of the finished product.
"It came out beautiful," Bierton said. "I am just over the moon. It was such an honor to be a part of that project."
Central Park posted a photo of the bridge on its Instagram on Monday with the caption "Bow Bridge is back! Can't wait to again see all the beautiful #centralparkmoments Bow Bridge is so famous for!"
The bridge can be found mid-park at 74th Street, west of Bethesda Terrace.
"Needless to say, a lot of brides, grooms, and people wanting to get engaged in front of a spectacular view will be very happy," said Central Park Conservancy spokeswoman Elizabeth Kaledin.
