The Harlem River has long separated the Bronx from Manhattan and made crossing difficult. By 1667, small boats were ferrying people and goods across the river near here, and in 1795 Coles Bridge, the first permanent dock for the southern side on the Harlem River, was built to the north and west near an unreadable street name. As traffic increased, another crossing was needed even after the Third Avenue Bridge opened. Construction of the original Willis Avenue Bridge between First Avenue in Manhattan and Willis Avenue in the Bronx was approved in 1894 with a budget of 2.5 million, and Thomas C. Clarke was chosen as its designer. Some criticized the design for its two unmatched river spans, and construction ultimately cost much more than expected because of features such as incandescent electric lights and cement pavement. Completed in 1901, the bridge later gained additions including pedestrian shelters and restrooms on the piers of the swing span, and it was to be operated free of tolls. The span carried traffic across the river and opened to allow boats to pass through the shipping channel. In 1914, the two engines that operated the swing span were replaced by electric motors. The bridge originally carried two-way traffic and was converted to one-way traffic in 1941. On the Manhattan side it was later connected to the new FDR Drive. The original bridge, built between 1897 and 1901, had a 304-foot swing span, a 240-foot fixed span, a width of 60 feet, 24 feet of clearance at the center above high water, used 6,213 tons of steel, and cost $2,500,000. In 1908, horse cars on First Avenue were replaced by electric street cars, and the new trolley line ran from Willis Avenue in the Bronx over the bridge and down First Avenue. The original Willis Avenue Bridge was removed and replaced with the current structure between 2007 and 2012, and the new swing span was centered on the river, eliminating the need for an adjoining fixed truss span. Remnants of the former bridge survive in the Bronx Railyard, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and Harlem River Park. Since 1976, the New York City Marathon has run through all five boroughs, and in 2008 about 37,900 runners crossed the bridge.
