New York Roads - Brooklyn Bridge - Walkway

Brooklyn Bridge from the pedestrian walkway


Walking east from Manhattan up to the first tower. Not only is the bridge structurally redundant, but the separate supports are woven together in a unified system, possibly to distribute the loading more evenly between the multiple systems.


In addition to the plaques on the main bridge page (north side), this can be found embedded in the south side of the west tower. All that remains visible is "Award of Merit" and "Bridge."


Continuing my walk east to the next tower. I love lamp.


A couple of Manhattan Bridge views I pick up along the way.


The appropriately named Clock Tower Building is now renting condos to people who thought they were hipsters but ended up with too much money.


As I said on the main page, Washington Roebling finished the job his father had barely started. However, he almost died, himself, and ended up with severe side effects from caisson disease ("the bends" were poorly understood at the time) and the mental toll of constant devotion to the project. His wife became Washington's presence at the job site and she did a large part of his engineering work overall. So, that makes it just a tiny bit sexist to dedicate this plaque to her "self-sacrificing devotion" to her husband. How about, "She basically went from housewife to construction manager in no time flat, with no training, entirely self-taught, and successfully saw through one of the most innovative, inventive, and famous bridges of all time, becoming effectively the first major female foreman, engineer, and inspector." I think that does a little more justice to her memory.


Made it to Brooklyn. The last photo is the base of one of the many lampposts across the bridge. I love lamppost.


One more look to the north (and west), and one more look down at the EB roadway, where a piece of historic stone railing has been lost. I wonder if they replace it with concrete or pick up as many stone pieces as they can and rebuild it as it was.


Walking back west into Manhattan.

See Brooklyn Bridge from the roadway underneath
Back to Brooklyn Bridge main page


Over to the Manhattan Bridge
Into Manhattan
Into Brooklyn
Back to New York Roads
Back to Roads