1883

Brooklyn Bridge is a suspension bridge over the East River. It connects the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York City. The bridge, which has a span of 1,595 feet, was the largest suspension bridge in the world when it was completed in 1883. Its total cost was about $15 million.

Brooklyn Bridge hangs from steel cables that are nearly 16 inches thick. The cables are suspended from 275-foot towers and are anchored at their ends to massive blocks of masonry. The bridge has six lanes for traffic. In 1964, the National Park Service designated the bridge a national historic landmark.

Contributor: Fred F. Videon, Ph.D., Senior Structural Engineer, HKM Associates Engineers Planners.