Williamsburg Bridge

This second suspension bridge over the E. River was designed by the engineer Leffert L. Buck and the architect Henry Hornbostel. At the time of its completion, it was the longest and strongest suspension bridge in the world. While the center span is suspended, the side spans bear on steel piers. That is why you see no suspenders. A reviewer at the time characterized it as an "Engineer's Bridge" and sarcastically noted that the eye is not distracted from its "bald utility." In the years following its completion Williamsburg transformed into a dense urban neighborhood. The span was sometimes referred to as the "Jew's Bridge"� as an influx of Jewish settlers migrated from the overcrowded Lower East Side to the German and Irish enclave formerly known as "Kleine Deutchland." In the 1920s the lower roadway was adapted to carry eight lanes of car traffic. In the 1980s the prospect of complete replacement saw innovative cable stay designs by both Harry N. Cobb and Jorge Schlaich.