Manhattan Bridge is a
suspension bridge that crosses the East River
in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the
Flatbush Avenue Extension.
The main span is 1,480 ft long, with the suspension cables being 3,224 ft long. The bridge's total length is 6,855 ft .
The Manhattan Bridge connects downtown Brooklyn to Canal Street in Chinatown, Manhattan. It's the youngest bridge in the East River — constructed in 1901 — and has an often photographed stone facade that was built by the same architects who created the main branch of the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue. The bridge was one of the first to employ the deflection theory, which said suspension cables were enough to support the structure; It didn't need the huge beams that engineers originally thought necessary.
The Manhattan Bridge is widely used by New Yorkers. Every day over 450,000 people cross it by car, bike and subway. The latter is an easy way to experience the bridge and see the views of the Manhattan skyline.
You can also walk across the bridge (there is a pedestrian lane on the south side) or bike (on the north side) although the path is narrow and gritty. The upside is that you'll see the Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor and Brooklyn Bridge. |
