The Manhattan Bridge (New York City, New York)

The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan (at Canal Street) with Brooklyn (at Flatbush Avenue Extension). It was the last of the three suspension bridges built across the lower East River, following the Brooklyn and the Williamsburg bridges. The bridge was opened to traffic on December 31, 1909 and was designed by Leon Moisseiff, who later designed the infamous original Tacoma Narrows Bridge that opened and collapsed in 1940. It has four vehicle lanes on the upper level (split between two roadways).

The lower level has three lanes, four subway tracks, a walkway and a bikeway. The upper level, originally used for streetcars, has two lanes in each direction, and the lower level is one-way and has three lanes in peak direction. It once carried New York State Route 27 and later was planned to carry Interstate 478. No tolls are charged for motor vehicles to use the Manhattan Bridge.

During an average day, more than 78,000 vehicles and 350,000 people use the bridge’s six roadways and two subway tracks to pass between Canal Street in lower Manhattan and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.

Engineered by Leon Moisseiff (1872-1943) and fitted with a splendid set of approaches designed by the renowned architectural team of Carrere and Hastings, the Manhattan Bridge is one of the most aesthetically pleasing of New York City’s transportation structures.

Manhattan Bridge Bytes:

Construction commenced - October 1, 1901
Open to Traffic - December 31, 1909
Total length - 6855 feet
Length of main span - 1470 feet
Length of each of the four cables - 3224 feet

Taken from NYCDOT: www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/bridges.html#manhatt...

More information:
spookcentral.cjb.net/loc_ny_bridge.htm
Categories: bridge, railway bridge, road bridge, suspension bridge
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Bridge
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:  40°42'24"N 73°59'25"W

Comments

  • The Ghostbusters drove Ecto-1 across this bridge in the movie Ghostbusters (1984).