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Brooklyn Bridge Construction: 13 Years, 1870–1883

The Brooklyn Bridge—an icon of American engineering—spanned 13 years, 4 months, and 21 days from groundbreaking to opening day.

Milestone	Date	Notes
Construction start	January 3, 1870	Caisson sinking for Manhattan tower begins
Manhattan tower complete	July 1876	Caisson reached bedrock at 78 ft below high water
Brooklyn tower complete	1875	Shallower bedrock (45 ft); finished first
Cable spinning	1877–1878	5,434 galvanized steel wires per cable; 14,000 miles total
Deck & superstructure	1879–1882	Stiffening trusses, suspenders, roadway, pedestrian promenade
Official opening	May 24, 1883	Emily Warren Roebling first to cross; 1,800 vehicles, 150,300 people day 1

Human Cost & Triumph

John A. Roebling (designer) died of tetanus before construction began
Washington Roebling (son, chief engineer) incapacitated by caisson disease ("the bends"); directed work from bedroom via telescope & wife Emily
Emily Warren Roebling became de facto chief engineer—first woman to manage a major US infrastructure project
~27 workers died (caisson disease, falls, cable accidents)

At opening, the 1,595 ft main span was the world's longest—50% longer than any previous bridge. It proved steel-wire suspension could carry heavy urban loads, launching the golden age of long-span bridges.

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Metros & Subways