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The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid 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.
The masterwork of John Augustus Roebling, the Brooklyn Bridge was built (1869–83) in the face of immense difficulties. Roebling, an engineer, had developed his own method for weaving wire cables, which became one of the leading constructional components of his bridge designs.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
He designed and built wire rope suspension bridges, in particular the Brooklyn Bridge, which has been designated as a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
- The Man with The Plan
- A Perilous Process
- A Bridge Unveiled
John Augustus Roebling, the Brooklyn Bridge’s creator, was a great pioneer in the design of steel suspension bridges. Born in Germany in 1806, he studied industrial engineering in Berlin and at the age of 25 immigrated to western Pennsylvania, where he attempted, unsuccessfully, to make his living as a farmer. He later moved to the state capital in...
To achieve a solid foundation for the bridge, workers excavated the riverbed in massive wooden boxes called caissons. These airtight chambers were pinned to the river’s floor by enormous granite blocks; pressurized air was pumped in to keep water and debris out. Workers known as “sandhogs”—many of them immigrants earning about $2 a day—used shovels...
On May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River opened, connecting the great cities of New York and Brooklyn for the first time in history. Thousands of residents of Brooklyn and Manhattan Island turned out to witness the dedication ceremony, which was presided over by President Chester A. Arthur and New York Governor Grover Cleveland. Emi...
Feb 26, 2024 · In late June 1869, John Augustus Roebling, the celebrated designer and builder of wire rope suspension bridges, was surveying his new project site in Lower Manhattan when an approaching...
- Sarah Pruitt
- 1 min
Sep 16, 2019 · John Roebling and His Son Washington. John Roebling, an immigrant from Germany, did not invent the suspension bridge, but his work building bridges in America made him the most prominent bridge builder in the U.S. in the mid-1800s.
Completed in 1883, this historic suspension bridge spans the East River, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Designed by John A. Roebling, the bridge was a groundbreaking project in its time, combining elegance with functionality and introducing the use of steel-wire suspension cables.
