The bridge was repaired in 1899, replacing one of the spans. River traffic declined to a trickle in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and the need to open the bridge to allow for river traffic evaporated. The manually operated swing span was last used at some point around 1920. In 1975, a new river crossing was constructed on 58th Street, only 1/2 mile from the 57th Street bridge. In 1976, the 57th Street bridge was closed due to its deterioration, but over the next few years it was rehabilitated and reconstructed, and was reopened to vehicular traffic in 1979.