The Brooklyn Bridge cost $15.1 million - more than twice the original cost estimate of $7 million. A brilliant feat of 19th-century engineering, at 3,460 feet, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it was completed in 1883. Using innovative technology, it was the first to use steel cable, and the first to use explosives in underwater caissons.

120 years later, it is still the 44th longest span. Refurbished into a six-lane bridge, approximately 145,000 vehicles per day cross it. First toll: 5 cents!

Ken Burns created a wonderful documentary aired on PBS about the amazing feats accomplished by its engineers, the Roeblings, and its construction crew, as well as its impact on NYC life.
http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/brooklynbrige/about/

 

Return to Top