Scruffy's bridge of the day
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
Plans for a crossing between the city of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan dated back to the early 1800's. When the East River crossing was planned, Brooklyn, with about 400,000 residents, was still more rural than urban. The city of New York - which at the time consisted only of Manhattan - had twice as many residents, and the bridge was seen as a solution to overcrowding in Manhattan while spurring development in Brooklyn. The bridge would enable people and goods to cross the East River quickly, regardless of weather conditions.
-nycroads.com
From The Great Bridge by David McCullough:
A bridge over the East River, joining the cities of New York and Brooklyn, had been talked about for nearly as long as anyone can remember… But nothing was done. The chief problem was always the East River, which is no river at all technically speaking, but a tidal strait and one of the most turbulent and in that day, especially, one of the busiest stretches of navigable salt water anywhere on earth. "If there is to be a bridge," wrote one man, "it must take one grand flying leap from shore to shore over the masts of the ships. There can be no piers or drawbridge. There must be only one great arch all the way across. Surely this must be a wonderful bridge."
The history behind the bridge and the seemingly cursed Roebling family is fascinating and far too intensive to go into here. Basically one would die, the next would take up the construction only to get sick and die and the lagacy moved on until it finished with the a Roebling wife.
Construction started Jan 3, 1870 and finally opened for traffic May 24th, 1883. Its main span is 1595 feet, 6 inches or roughly the u/c International Commerce Center in Hong Kong lying on its side suspended between the two support towers. It has 6 traffic lanes, no longer has any rail crossing it. It clears the river by 135 feet and its tower at 277 feet were the tallest structure in NYC at the time of completion, except for the spire of Trinity Church. Bridge just turned 124 years old 2 weeks ago.
Pics Ive taken over the past 3 years
film being shot at the oh so cliche' film location at Fulton Ferry State Park
and an old pic I got off NYCRoads.com. A great site for history on all of NYC bridges and highways
