The controversial fence would be part of the $62 million renovation to reopen the iconic bridge that connects Manhattan and the Bronx.

The city plans to erect an 8-foot fence around the historic High Bridge footpath over the Harlem River, angering locals who say it will ruin one of Manhattan’s most breathtaking vistas.

The stainless-steel mesh barrier is part of a $62 million renovation to reopen the iconic bridge that connects Manhattan and the Bronx.

City officials say the fence is crucial for public safety, but community members argue residents of Washington Heights and Highbridge can take care of themselves.

“The bridge is going to be used in a proper way,” said Ebenezer Smith, district manager at Community Board 12. “Those fences look so ugly. It will look like you’re in prison when you go there to recreate and breathe a little bit of clean air above the river.”

The design of the fence was the main point of debate at a Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing Tuesday, when the agency voted 7 to 1 to approve the massive makeover.

Smith argued against the 8-foot fence along with officials from the Historic Districts Council and Society for the Architecture of the City, which likened the fence to “a cage of posts, bars and towering metal mesh.”

Matthew Monahan, spokesman for the Department of Design and Construction, said officials worked hard to pick a fence that keeps High Bridge’s “breathtaking views intact.”

“It’s thin mesh, something that can be seen through, not a barrier or a wall,” Monahan said. “The absolute overriding priority is public safety, which is prevention of accidental falls or for those who might have suicidal thoughts.”

Roberta Washington, a Manhattan architect and the lone member of the Landmarks Commission to vote against the design, called the fence “a really terrible solution” during testimony Tuesday.

“It’s really bad, I don’t think this works well,” she said. “It’s overkill, I don’t think it’s appropriate.”

New Yorkers enjoying yesterday afternoon in Highbridge Park had mixed feelings about the fence, but agreed reopening the bridge that’s been closed since the 1970s is long overdue.

“It’s an insult. Eight feet high? It sounds like they are building the Great Wall of China,” said Hiliro Cruz, 33, a restaurant manager from Melrose. “It’s ridiculous.”

Franky Tejeda, 24, of Washington Heights, said the protective fence is needed in his neighborhood.

“The Bronx and Washington Heights are high-crime areas,” he said. “They have every right to build something like that here.”

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