Manhattan Bridge in New York (USA): description, photo, how to get

An ingenious work of engineering art, which is already more than 100 years old – the Manhattan Bridge in New York. A huge city with its highest 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, it offers beautiful views.

History of the bridge

New York is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, which gives rise to rivers and bays. The East River crosses the entire city. In order to connect the two banks on which the districts of Brooklyn and Manhattan are located, three bridges were created. The Manhattan Bridge, the youngest bridge, began to be built on October 1, 1901. It was opened to traffic on December 31, 1909. On New Year‘s Eve 1910, one could safely walk along it or drive a car to the other side of the river.

The bridge project, which was created by engineer Leon Moiseiff, an immigrant from Russia, became a model of the new in bridge building at the beginning of the 20th century.

Rising 40 meters above the water, this huge and at the same time openwork structure stretched for more than two kilometers. It is longer than its counterparts in New York and has two tiers. The upper one is open to multi-lane traffic for vehicles. On the bottom there are paths for pedestrians and cyclists. Also on the lower tier are four metro lines. Therefore, the Manhattan Bridge, which in translation means the Manhattan Bridge, is much more functional than previous bridges.

In 1910, the creation of the architectural appearance of the entrances to the bridge began. The project was created by Carrer and Hastings. Construction was completed in 1912. An arch was erected on the Manhattan side, from which the columns scatter on both sides of the road. The whole ensemble is a semicircle. Cars enter through the arch and enter the upper tier of the bridge.

The base of this pompous piece of architecture is adorned with sculptures of the Spirit of Industry and the Spirit of Commerce. At the top is Charles Rumsey's sculpture Buffalo Hunt. The arch and colonnade are considered New York landmarks.

The Brooklyn Bridge is another famous bridge in the USA. – 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 unfair.

The construction of the bridge was met 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 were involved in this construction. It was completed in 1915, and trains ran until 1929, when the construction of additional metro lines began.

They were laid along the outer side of the bridge and over time, the vibrations led to the partial destruction of the bridge. In 1986, it became necessary to close several metro lines for repairs. So, over the course of several years, the bridge was restored, closing in turn the northern and southern routes.

A gift for New York was the launch in 2004 of four subway lines, which still provide fast movement around the city for a large number of passengers.

The construction of bridges in New York pursued the goal of connecting various areas of the city with convenient transport arteries, so the bridges are more engineering than architectural structures. But thanks to the openwork design, this powerful structure, which can withstand huge loads, does not seem bulky and fits very organically into the urban landscape.

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Manhattan Bridge today

You can take a leisurely walk along the bridge, armed with a camera, along the footpath. It offers wonderful views of the city. Being among the skyscrapers, you will not be able to capture the cityscapes in full. Only from the side you can create an impression of the city with its buildings, streets and bridges. This opportunity must be used when walking or driving over the bridge.

If you walk on the right side of the street in the direction from Manhattan to Brooklyn, then a wonderful view opens up. From here you can take a lot of beautiful photos with a view of the city and the Brooklyn Bridge. And shots with skyscrapers and a panorama of the city are worth enduring the noise of the metro behind. The footpath is protected on both sides with a mesh that does not interfere with admiring the city.

The bridge was created using technologies that existed at the time of its creation. Therefore, it is very interesting to look at the rivets with which this design 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 the subway train and take pictures while it is passing, then as a result of vibration, an interesting tilt-shift effect is superimposed on the photo.

Residents of the city thousands of times, passing over the Manhattan Bridge, admire their city and the Brooklyn Bridge even from the subway car.

Walking along the bridge, you can watch life churning under you, as if hovering above the ordinary.

Manhattan Bridge at the movies

The directors have chosen this engineering and architectural structure as a backdrop for many films.

In the movie Independence Day, the aliens who came to take over the Earth first appear over this place. In the movie Deep Impact, a monstrous tsunami destroys the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges to the ground. In fragments of over 30 Hollywood films, the bridge appears in the frame.

How to get on your own

If you want to visit New York and see its sights with your own eyes, it is better to fly to JFK Airport. From the airport to Manhattan you can get:

By yellow taxi for $50;

Air Train and metro – for $ 7.5. Air Train, which departs from the airport, will take you in a few minutes and $ 5 to the Jamaica station. There you change to the subway. The ticket costs $2.5.

The Manhattan Bridge is located at the High Street and East Broadway stations on line F, the High Street station on line A.