Brooklyn Bridge

Seven Wonders of the Industrial World

The Brooklyn Bridge opened on 24 May 1883 and linked the then separate cities of Manhattan and Brooklyn across the East River. It was designed by John A. Roebling, who died of tetanus after an accident during surveying in 1869. His son, Washington Roebling, took over as chief engineer, and when decompression illness left him bedridden, his wife Emily Warren Roebling became his vital link to the work, mastering the mathematics and managing relations with contractors and officials. The structure was an engineering milestone: its main span of nearly 486 metres made it the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time, and it was the first to use steel wire for its cables. Its stone towers, built with Gothic arches from granite and limestone, were raised from caissons sunk into the riverbed, where workers laboured in compressed air and many suffered from the then little understood bends. The web of diagonal stay cables gives the bridge its harp-like look. It carries vehicles on lower roadways and a pedestrian and bicycle promenade above, which has become one of the city’s best walks. Today the bridge is a National Historic Landmark, a symbol of New York and a working road crossing. Walking from Manhattan towards Brooklyn gives sweeping views of the skyline, the harbour and DUMBO’s cobbled streets. Expect crowds of walkers and cyclists, particularly at sunrise and sunset, and respect the separate lanes.