The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable suspension bridge in the city of New York. The bridge is one of the oldest bridges in United States and it was opened to the public in 1883. The bridge connects Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning over the East River.
The Brooklyn Bridge has a span of over 480 meters. It was initially called the East River Bridge but was later dubbed as Brooklyn Bridge. The naming has a story to itself. It caught trend by a letter to Brooklyn Daily Eagle editor. The trend caught on and the government in 1915 officially named it Brooklyn Bridge.
The Bridge is considered an icon in the New York City and due to its popularity and prominence the bridge was designated as a national historic landmark from 1960s.
The bridge is a hybrid of cable and suspension. Towers are built on both ends, of limestone and granite that hook the cables. The main contact for the Brooklyn Bridge was provided to Bodwell granite Company. The granite blocks were quarried on Vinalhaven Island and were brought through schooner.
The construction of the bridge took almost 16 years from 1869 to 1883. It was designed by a German engineer John Augustus.
Special walkways are designated for cyclists and pedestrians. Commercial vehicles are however prohibited from using the bridge due to the height and width of the roads.
The bridge was renovated recently in 2007 after close attention was paid to the renovation of bridges. This happened due to the collapse of Mississippi River Bridge at that time.
It was the main gateway after the collapse of WTC in 2001. All the subways were jammed and subway service was jammed. People crossed the bridge on foot. They reported more swaying of bridge, due to more load on it.
