Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge
View from Manhattan towards Brooklyn, 2009
Coordinates40°42′21″N 73°59′47″W / 40.7057°N 73.9964°W / 40.7057; -73.9964
Carries5 lanes of roadway
Elevated trains (until 1944)
Streetcars (until 1950)
Pedestrians and bicycles
CrossesEast River
LocaleNew York City (Civic Center, Manhattan – Dumbo/Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn)
Maintained byNew York City Department of Transportation
ID number22400119[1]
Characteristics
DesignCable-stayed suspension bridge
Total length6,016 ft (1,833.7 m; 1.1 mi)[a]
Width85 ft (25.9 m)[5][6][8]
Height272 ft (82.9 m) (towers)[3]
Longest span1,595.5 ft (486.3 m)[5][6][8]
Clearance below127 ft (38.7 m) above mean high water[9]
History
DesignerJohn Augustus Roebling
Constructed byNew York Bridge Company
OpenedMay 24, 1883 (1883-05-24)[10]
Statistics
Daily traffic121,930 (2019)[11]
TollFree (Manhattan-bound to FDR Drive north, and Brooklyn-bound)
Variable congestion charge (Manhattan-bound to all other exits)
Brooklyn Bridge
New York State Register of Historic Places
New York City Landmark No. 0098
Built1869–1883
Architectural styleGothic Revival
NRHP reference No.66000523
NYSRHP No.06101.001644
NYCL No.0098
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966[13]
Designated NHLJanuary 29, 1964[14]
Designated NYSRHPJune 23, 1980[12]
Designated NYCLAugust 24, 1967[2]
Location

The Brooklyn Bridge is a cable-stayed suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River. It was also the longest suspension bridge in the world when opened, with a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m) and a deck 127 ft (38.7 m) above mean high water. The span was originally called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge or the East River Bridge but was officially renamed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1915.

Proposals for a bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn were first made in the early 19th century; these plans evolved into what is now the Brooklyn Bridge, designed by John A. Roebling. The project's chief engineer, his son Washington Roebling, contributed further design work, assisted by the latter's wife, Emily Warren Roebling. Construction started in 1870 and was overseen by the New York Bridge Company, which in turn was controlled by the Tammany Hall political machine. Numerous controversies and the novelty of the design prolonged the project over thirteen years. After opening, the Brooklyn Bridge underwent several reconfigurations, having carried horse-drawn vehicles and elevated railway lines until 1950. To alleviate increasing traffic flows, additional bridges and tunnels were built across the East River. Due to gradual deterioration, the Brooklyn Bridge was renovated several times, including in the 1950s, 1980s, and 2010s.

The Brooklyn Bridge is the southernmost of five vehicular bridges connecting Manhattan Island and Long Island, with the Manhattan Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge, the Queensboro Bridge, and the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (formerly known as the Triborough Bridge) to the north.[15] Only passenger vehicles and pedestrian and bicycle traffic are permitted. A major tourist attraction since it opened, the Brooklyn Bridge has become an icon of New York City. Over the years, the bridge has been used for stunts and performances, as well as several crimes, attacks and vandalism. The Brooklyn Bridge is designated a National Historic Landmark, a New York City landmark, and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

  1. ^ "NYC DOT Bridges & Tunnels Annual Condition Report 2015" (PDF). New York City Department of Transportation. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NYCL was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Facts on File 1914 p. 839 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Brooklyn Citizen Almanac 1893 p. 165 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference NRHI Nomination Form p. 2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Barnes p. 28 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference McCullough pp. 29-31 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference tribune19220729 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "NOAA National Ocean Service Coast Survey Navigational Chart #12335: Hudson and East Rivers, Governors Island to 67th Street" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. October 1, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  10. ^ Feuerstein, Gary (May 29, 1998). "Brooklyn Bridge Facts, History and Information". Endex Engineering, Inc. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  11. ^ "NYC DOT – Data Feeds (NYC Bridge & Screenline Traffic Volumes Dashboard)". New York City Department of Transportation. 2019. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  12. ^ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  13. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference nhlsum was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Sharif, Mo (December 19, 1903). "Protecting New York City's Bridge Assets". Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2025.


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