Question:
How long did it take to build the Brooklyn Bridge?
Answer:
It took just over 13 years (1870-83) from start of construction until opening, or 18 years (1865-83), from the drawing-board to opening.
Actual construction took 13 years, starting on January 3rd 1870 and the bridge opened for public use on May 24, 1883.
When it opened on May 24, 1883, the 5,989 foot span was far longer than any other bridge in the country -- nearly six times longer, in fact -- and was the first steel-wire suspension bridge in the world.
It is not, however, the oldest suspension bridge in the United States, as listed erroneously all over the web -- the oldest suspension bridge in the United States is the Roebling Delaware Aqueduct Bridge spanning the Delaware & Hudson Canal at Lackawaxen Pennsylvania. It uses cast iron suspension cables.
Prior to the construction of the bridge, people wishing to commute to Manhattan from Brooklyn had to take ferry boats, which were not only unable to keep up with the population growth of Brooklyn, but were also often shut down or delayed by poor weather (even for days sometimes, when ice filled the river).
Linking Manhattan and Brooklyn with a reliable, easy way to get from one side of the river to the other allowed Brooklyn's population to explode, growing by more than 40% in the decade following the opening of the bridge (and in fact many of Brooklyn's great neighborhoods, such as Park Slope, Flatbush, Crown Heights, etc. did not start to develop until the bridge finally opened).
Originally, the bridge carried pedestrians and horse-drawn traffic. Later, trolly cars and elevated trains were added to the bridge. In 1950, the bridge was converted over to all automobile traffic. Pedestrians and bike riders use an elevated walkway above the six lanes of traffic.
Originally called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, the bridge cost $15.5 million to build. It was formally re-named The Brooklyn Bridge by the city government in 1915.
The Brooklyn Bridge is the oldest of the three East River bridges that connect Brooklyn and Manhattan. The Williamsburg Bridge, which opened in 1903, was popularly known as just the "New Bridge" when it opened. The youngest of the three is the Manhattan Bridge, which just celebrated its one hundredth birthday in 2009 (although the bridge opened for service in 1909, it wasn't fully completed until 1912). Only the Manhattan Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge still carry subway train traffic.ShareThis question viewed 2082 times. Next Question: We are trying to find an e-mail address/web site for Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz
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