140 years ago, the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge began in New York

New York/Praha - The Brooklyn Bridge, one of the landmarks of New York and one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States, is 1825 meters long, spans the East River, and connects Manhattan island with the Brooklyn neighborhood. Its construction officially began on January 3, 1870, it took thirteen years to build, and it was ceremoniously opened on May 24, 1883, in the presence of U.S. President Chester A. Arthur.
    It was built according to the design of engineer and architect John Augustus Roebling, who died before the bridge began construction. His son Washington continued his work.
    The main architectural feature of the Brooklyn Bridge, which has been a national historic landmark since 1964, is the two tower-like pillars made of granite masonry. Between them hangs a bridge supported by four steel cables each forty centimeters thick, secured by another four hundred thinner cables. The main span of the bridge measures 486 meters, which was the largest in the world at the time, and the towers of the bridge were the tallest structures in New York when it was opened.