Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge, one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States, stretches 5,989 feet over the East River, connecting the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Upon completion in 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, and the first steel-wire suspension bridge.

Originally referred to as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, it was dubbed the Brooklyn Bridge in an 1867 letter to the editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and was formally so named by the city government in 1915. Since its opening, it has become an iconic part of the New York skyline. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964.

At various times, the bridge has carried horse-drawn and trolley traffic. At present, it has six lanes for motor vehicles, with a separate walkway along the centerline for pedestrians and bicycles. Due to the roadway's height and weight restrictions, commercial vehicles and buses are prohibited .

The two inside traffic lanes carried elevated trains until 1944. Streetcars also ran until 1950 when the bridge was rebuilt to carry six lanes of automobile traffic.

How to get there:
* Nearest Subways: 4, 5 ,6 to Brooklyn Bridge / City Hall stop.

Useful Links:

http://brooklynbridgepark.org

http://www.greatbuildings.com
/buildings/Brooklyn_Bridge.html

Brooklyn Bridge - Facts and Information

The Manhattan-side entrance is at Park Row and Centre Street, across from City Hall Park.

An elevated pedestrian path gives you great views of downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Construction began on January 3, 1870 and the Brooklyn Bridge opened in May of 1883

The total length of bridge is 5989 feet. The bridge's main span over the East River is 1,595 feet 6 inches.
At the time it opened, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.

The foundation of the Manhattan tower is 78 feet below water level.
The foundation of the Brooklyn tower is 44 feet below water level.

The bridge was designed by John Augustus Roebling. While surveying, Roebling's foot was badly injured by a ferry, pinning it against a pylon and he shortly died of tetanus.

His son, Washington, succeeded him. but in 1872 was stricken with caisson disease (decompression sickness, commonly known as "the bends"), due to working in compressed air in the caissons that were used to build the Manhattan side tower.

Washington became so ill that for the duration of the construction he could not leave his house on the Brooklyn side of the bridge. His wife Emily Warren Roebling, provided critical assistance by relaying information between her husband and the engineers on site. When the bridge opened, she was the first person to cross it.