A genius piece of engineering that is over 100 years old - the Manhattan Bridge in New York. A huge city with its tallest skyscrapers, endless roads and water streams is nothing without bridges, the main of which is the Manhattan Bridge. The size of this building is impressive, with beautiful views.
The history of the creation of the bridge
New York is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, giving rise to rivers and bays. The East River crosses the entire city. In order to connect the two shores on which the Brooklyn and Manhattan districts are located, three bridges were created. Construction of the youngest Manhattan Bridge began on October 1, 1901. It was opened to traffic on December 31, 1909. On New Year's Eve, 1910, it was easy to walk on it or drive a car to the other side of the river.
The project of the bridge, which was created by engineer Leon Moiseiff, an immigrant from Russia, became an example of the new in bridge construction at the beginning of the 20th century.
Rising 40 meters above the water, this huge and at the same time openwork structure stretches for more than two kilometers. It is longer than its New York counterparts and has two tiers. The upper one is open for multi-lane traffic for vehicles. The lower one has paths for pedestrians and cyclists. There are also four metro lines running along the lower tier. Therefore, the Manhattan Bridge, which in translation means the Manhattan Bridge, is much more functional than the previous bridges.
In 1910, the creation of the architectural appearance of the entrances to the bridge began. The project was created by Carrer & Hastings. The construction was completed in 1912. An arch has been erected on the side of Manhattan, from which columns scatter on either side of the road. The whole ensemble is a semicircle. Cars enter through the archway and enter the upper tier of the bridge.
The base of this grandiose architectural object is decorated with sculptures of the Spirit of Industry and the Spirit of Commerce. Above, there is a sculpture by Charles Ramsey "Bison Hunt". The arch and colonnade are considered a landmark in New York.
The Brooklyn Bridge is another famous bridge in the United States. - Read more on our website.
On the Brooklyn side of the bridge were figures depicting Manhattan and Brooklyn. In 1960, the sculptures were moved to the Brooklyn Museum. Many Brooklynians consider this fact to be unfair.
The construction of the bridge was greeted with great enthusiasm by the townspeople, since the existing Brooklyn Bridge could no longer cope with the large flow of public and personal transport of the huge city. In 1912, it was planned to create, in addition to automobile and pedestrian communication, a railway one. Several companies participated in this construction. It was completed in 1915, and trains ran until 1929, when the construction of additional metro lines began.
They were laid on the outside of the bridge and over time, vibrations led to the partial destruction of the bridge. In 1986, it became necessary to close several metro lines for renovation. So, over the course of several years, the bridge was restored, alternately closing the northern and southern routes.
New York was given a gift for the launch in 2004 of four subway lines, which still provide fast movement of a large number of passengers around the city.
The construction of bridges in New York pursued the goal of connecting various parts of the city with convenient transport arteries, so bridges are more engineering than architectural structures. But thanks to the openwork design, this powerful structure, which can withstand huge loads, does not seem cumbersome and fits very organically into the urban landscape.
We also recommend:
- New York City Guide
- What to see in New York in 3 days
- New York subway
- Grand Central Terminal in New York, USA
- Memorial 9/11 in New York
- Times Square in New York, USA
Manhattan Bridge today
You can take a leisurely stroll along the bridge, armed with a camera, along the footpath. It offers beautiful views of the city. Being among the skyscrapers, you will not be able to capture the cityscapes in full. Only from the outside can you create an impression of the city with its buildings, streets and bridges. This opportunity should definitely be used while walking or driving across the bridge.
If you walk on the right side of the street in the direction from Manhattan to Brooklyn, you will get a wonderful view. From here you can take a lot of beautiful photos of the city and the Brooklyn Bridge. And shots with skyscrapers and a panorama of the city are worth enduring the noise of the subway behind you. The pedestrian path is protected on both sides by a net that does not interfere with admiring the city.
The bridge was created according to the technologies that existed at the time of its creation. Therefore, it is very interesting to look at the rivets with which this structure was created. In the age of welded structures, it is touching to feel the warmth of the hands that inserted these rivets.
If you wait for a subway train and take pictures at the time of its passage, then as a result of vibration, an interesting tilt-shift effect is superimposed on the photo.
Citizens of the city thousands of times, driving over the Manhattan Bridge, admire their city and the Brooklyn Bridge even from a subway car.
Walking along the bridge, you can observe life, seething under you, as if soaring above the ordinary.
Manhattan Bridge in the cinema
The directors chose this engineering and architectural structure as a decoration for many films.
In the film "Independence Day," aliens who flew to take over the Earth first appear over this place. In the movie Abyss Impact, a monstrous tsunami destroys the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges to the ground. In over 30 Hollywood film fragments, the bridge appears in the frame.
How to get there on your own
If you want to visit New York and see its sights with your own eyes, then it is better to fly to Kennedy Airport (JFK). From the airport to Manhattan you can get:
By yellow taxi for $ 50;
Air Train and Metro - for $ 7.5. The Air Train, which departs from the airport, will take you in a few minutes and $ 5 to Jamaica station. There you change to the metro. The ticket costs $ 2.5.
Manhattan Bridge is located at High Street and East Broadway stations on line F, High Street station on line A.
