Perhaps, it is the blend of innovation and tragedy that makes the Brooklyn Bridge so compelling. Opened on May 24 1883 the Brooklyn Bridge stands as a testament to human ingenuity. It connects Manhattan and Brooklyn. It is a hybrid cable-stayed suspension bridge.
Originally called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge it was renamed in 1915. Proposals for a bridge had begun in the early 19th century. John A. Roebling designed it. His son Washington Roebling contributed to the design. Emily Warren Roebling also assisted him.
Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge started in 1870. The New York Bridge Company oversaw the project. The construction took thirteen years. The Brooklyn Bridge has undergone several changes. It once carried horse-drawn vehicles. It also carried elevated railway lines until 1950.
The Brooklyn Bridge has a total length of 6016 feet. Its main span is 1595.5 feet long. The clearance below is 127 feet above the water. The towers rise to a height of 272 feet. The Brooklyn Bridge has five lanes for vehicles. There is a pedestrian promenade and a bicycle path. Over 107000 vehicles cross the bridge each day. About 32000 pedestrians use it daily. Additionally 4000 cyclists travel over the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge uses a hybrid design with vertical and diagonal cables. Its stone towers display a neo-Gothic style. The original paint was Brooklyn Bridge Tan and Silver.
To accommodate shipping the bridge incorporates long approach viaducts. The main span elongates and contracts with temperature changes. Engineers did not test the designs in wind tunnels. John Roebling designed the truss system to be very strong. A supplier’s fraud reduced the strength of the bridge.
The main span and side spans are supported by trusses. There are suspender ropes holding up the trusses. An elevated pedestrian promenade runs between the roadways. The iron railings were made by Janes and Kirtland.
Each side span is reached by an approach ramp. The Brooklyn approach is shorter than the Manhattan approach. The approaches have Renaissance-style arches. Underneath the Manhattan approach is the Brooklyn Banks skate park. The community tried to save the banks. Some of the space has reopened as a park. It is called the Arches.
The Brooklyn Bridge has four main cables. Each cable contains 5282 steel wires. These are bundled into 19 strands. The cables support LED lighting fixtures. Suspenders hang downward from the main cables. Cable stays extend diagonally from the towers. Each side contains an anchorage for the main cables. The anchorages are trapezoidal limestone structures. The Manhattan anchorage rests on bedrock. The Brooklyn anchorage rests on clay.
The anchorages have anchor plates. They are connected to the main cables by eyebars. The anchorages contain passageways and compartments. The vaults under the Manhattan anchorage were rented out. They stored wine at a constant temperature. One vault was called the Blue Grotto. Leaks led to repairs in the late 1980s.
The towers are built of limestone granite and Rosendale cement. The limestone came from the Clark Quarry. The granite came from Vinalhaven Island Maine. Each tower contains Gothic Revival arches.
The towers rest on underwater caissons. Inside the caissons were spaces for workers. The Manhattan side’s caisson is slightly larger. Workers got decompression sickness during construction. Washington Roebling suffered a paralyzing injury. His wife Emily supervised the construction.
The opening of the Brooklyn Bridge had cost 15.5 million US dollar. About 27 men died during its construction. The Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world. Jumbo the elephant led a parade of elephants over the Brooklyn Bridge. This lessened doubts about the bridge’s stability.
Today, the Brooklyn Bridge is more than just a structure. It’s a symbol of New York City. It is a testament to human endeavor.