Editing Brooklyn Bridge (section)

== Description <span class="anchor" id="Design"></span> ==
The Brooklyn Bridge, an early example of a steel-wire [[suspension bridge]],<ref>{{harvnb|ps=.|Talbot|2011|p=1}}</ref>{{efn|Together with the [[Clifton Suspension Bridge]] of 1864}} uses a [[Cable-stayed suspension bridge|hybrid]] design combining elements of [[cable-stayed bridge|cable-stayed]] and [[suspension bridge]]s, with both vertical and diagonal suspender cables.<ref>{{cite web | title=Brooklyn Bridge – History, Construction, & Facts | website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica Online|Encyclopædia Britannica]] | url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Brooklyn-Bridge | access-date=January 24, 2020 | archive-date=June 5, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605114111/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Brooklyn-Bridge | url-status=live }}</ref> Its stone towers are [[neo-gothic architecture|neo-Gothic]], with characteristic pointed arches.<ref name="Greene 2017 p. 81">{{cite book | last=Greene | first=Elizabeth B. | title=Buildings and Landmarks of 19th-Century America: American Society Revealed | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing | year=2017 | isbn=978-1-4408-3573-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LBjHEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA81 | access-date=November 9, 2023 | page=81 | archive-date=November 9, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109212057/https://books.google.com/books?id=LBjHEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA81 | url-status=live }}</ref> The [[New York City Department of Transportation]] (NYCDOT), which maintains the bridge, says that its original paint scheme was "Brooklyn Bridge Tan" and "Silver", but other accounts state that it was originally entirely "[[Rawlins, Wyoming#"Rawlins Red"|Rawlins Red]]".<ref name="Saxena 2010 i247">{{cite web | last=Saxena | first=Jaya | title=Brooklyn Bridge Almost Painted 'Queensborough Tan' | website=Gothamist | date=May 4, 2010 | url=https://gothamist.com/news/brooklyn-bridge-almost-painted-queensborough-tan | access-date=November 9, 2023 | archive-date=November 9, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109211625/https://gothamist.com/news/brooklyn-bridge-almost-painted-queensborough-tan | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Buiso 2010 i077">{{cite web | last=Buiso | first=Gary | title=City red-faced after naming Brooklyn Bridge's paint after hated Queens | website=Brooklyn Paper | date=May 4, 2010 | url=https://www.brooklynpaper.com/city-red-faced-after-naming-brooklyn-bridges-paint-after-hated-queens/ | access-date=November 9, 2023 | archive-date=November 9, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109211625/https://www.brooklynpaper.com/city-red-faced-after-naming-brooklyn-bridges-paint-after-hated-queens/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Deck ===
[[File:DUMBO (96047423).jpg|left|thumb|alt=A stone viaduct approach ramp to the Brooklyn Bridge, as seen from a street in Brooklyn, with buildings to either side|An approach ramp to the Brooklyn Bridge, seen from Brooklyn, with [[Manhattan Bridge]] (partially hidden by buildings) seen in the background]]
To provide sufficient clearance for shipping in the East River, the Brooklyn Bridge incorporates long approach viaducts on either end to raise it from low ground on both shores.<ref name="McCullough pp. 29-31">{{harvnb|ps=.|McCullough|1972|pp=29–31}}</ref> Including approaches, the Brooklyn Bridge is a total of {{Convert|6016|ft|m|abbr=}} long<ref name="NYCL">{{cite web|url=https://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/0098.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226200736/https://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/0098.pdf |archive-date=December 26, 2016 |url-status=live|title=Brooklyn Bridge|date=August 24, 1967|publisher=[[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]]|access-date=June 18, 2019|page=1}}</ref><ref name="Facts on File 1914 p. 839">{{cite book | agency=Facts on File Inc. | title=The World Almanac & Book of Facts | publisher=Press Publishing Company (The New York World) | year=1914 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-GQ3AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA839 | access-date=June 18, 2019 | page=839}}</ref><ref name="Brooklyn Citizen Almanac 1893 p. 165" /> when measured between the curbs at [[Park Row (Manhattan)|Park Row]] in Manhattan and Sands Street in Brooklyn.<ref name="Brooklyn Citizen Almanac 1893 p. 165">{{cite book | title=Brooklyn Citizen Almanac | publisher=[[Brooklyn Citizen]]. | year=1893 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4VQ9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA165 | language=en | access-date=June 18, 2019 | page=165}}</ref> A separate measurement of {{convert|5989|ft|m}} is sometimes given; this is the distance from the curb at [[Centre Street (Manhattan)|Centre Street]] in Manhattan.<ref name="NRHI Nomination Form p. 2" /><ref name="Barnes p. 28">{{harvnb|ps=.|Barnes|1883|p=28}}</ref><ref name="McCullough pp. 29-31" />

==== Suspension span ====
The main span between the two suspension towers is {{convert|1595.5|ft|m}} long and {{Convert|85|ft|m|abbr=}} wide.<ref name="NRHI Nomination Form p. 2" /><ref name="Barnes p. 28" /><ref name="tribune19220729">{{cite news|title=Cables Slip, But Brooklyn Bridge Is Safe|date=July 29, 1922|work=[[New-York Tribune]]|pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33453854/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33453892/ 3]|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> The bridge "elongates and contracts between the extremes of temperature from 14 to 16 inches".<ref>{{harvnb|ps=.|Hewitt|1883|p=309}}</ref> Navigational clearance is {{convert|127|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} above [[Mean High Water]] (MHW).<ref name="NOAA" /><ref name="nyt-2025-05-18">{{Cite news |last=Goldstein |first=Joseph |last2=Colon |first2=Shayla |last3=Mega |first3=Emiliano Rodríguez |last4=Keh |first4=Andrew |date=2025-05-18 |title=Mexican Navy Ship Crashes Into Brooklyn Bridge, Killing 2 Crew Members |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/17/nyregion/brooklyn-bridge-ship-crash-nyc.html |access-date=2025-05-18 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> A 1909 ''[[Engineering Magazine]]'' article said that, at the center of the span, the height above MHW could fluctuate by more than {{Convert|9|ft||abbr=}} due to temperature and traffic loads, while more rigid spans had a lower maximum [[Deflection (engineering)|deflection]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t71MAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA284|title=The Bridges of New York City|last=Thomson|first=T. Kennard|magazine=[[Engineering Magazine]]|year=1910|page=284|access-date=January 21, 2020|issue=v. 38|archive-date=January 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125003003/https://books.google.com/books?id=t71MAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA284#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

The side spans, between each suspension tower and each side's suspension anchorages, are {{Convert|930|ft|m|abbr=}} long.<ref name="NRHI Nomination Form p. 2">{{harvnb|ps=.|National Park Service|1966|p=2}}</ref><ref name="Barnes p. 28" /> At the time of construction, engineers had not yet discovered the [[aerodynamics]] of bridge construction, and bridge designs were not tested in [[wind tunnel]]s. John Roebling designed the Brooklyn Bridge's truss system to be six to eight times as strong as he thought it needed to be. As such, the open truss structure supporting the deck is, by its nature, subject to fewer aerodynamic problems.<ref name="Talbot p. 4">{{harvnb|ps=.|Talbot|2011|p=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1981/06/23/profiles-of-daring/991cf10a-30db-461f-8b26-dd54e24721ce/|title=Profiles of Daring|date=June 23, 1981|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=June 17, 2019|archive-date=June 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617133449/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1981/06/23/profiles-of-daring/991cf10a-30db-461f-8b26-dd54e24721ce/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, due to a supplier's fraudulent substitution of inferior-quality wire in the initial construction, the bridge was reappraised at the time as being only four times as strong as necessary.<ref name="Talbot p. 4" /><ref name="nyt19860308">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/08/nyregion/spinning-new-cables-for-bridge-s-2d-century.html|title=Spinning New Cables for Bridge's 2d Century|last=Brooke|first=James|date=March 8, 1986|work=[[The New York Times]]|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=June 18, 2019|archive-date=March 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325034433/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/08/nyregion/spinning-new-cables-for-bridge-s-2d-century.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The main span and side spans are supported by a structure containing [[truss]]es that run parallel to the roadway,<ref name=":1">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/apracticaltreat00steigoog|title=A Practical Treatise on Suspension Bridges: Their Design, Construction and Erection|last=Steinman|first=D.B.|publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|Wiley]]|year=1922|page=[https://archive.org/details/apracticaltreat00steigoog/page/n99 84]|access-date=July 4, 2019}}</ref> each of which is {{Convert|33|ft|m|abbr=}} deep.<ref name="Langmead 2009 p. 56" /><ref name="concise-description" /> Originally there were six trusses,<ref name=":1" /> but two were removed during a late-1940s renovation.<ref name="nyt19500920" /><ref name=":2" /> The trusses allow the Brooklyn Bridge to hold a total load of {{convert|18,700|ST|t|abbr=off|spell=us}}, a design consideration from when it originally carried heavier elevated trains.<ref name="McCullough pp. 29-31" /><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JJ87AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA105|title=Engineering Record, Building Record and Sanitary Engineer|last1=Mehren|first1=E.J.|last2=Meyer|first2=H.C.|last3=Wingate|first3=C.F.|last4=Goodell|first4=J.M.|publisher=[[McGraw Publishing Company]]|year=1889|page=105|access-date=July 4, 2019|issue=v. 20|archive-date=January 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125003043/https://books.google.com/books?id=JJ87AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA105#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> These trusses are held up by suspender ropes, which hang downward from each of the four main cables. Crossbeams run between the trusses at the top, and diagonal and vertical stiffening beams run on the outside and inside of each roadway.<ref name="Langmead 2009 p. 56">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OTh8b2cyGBcC&pg=PA56|title=Icons of American Architecture: From the Alamo to the World Trade Center|last=Langmead|first=D.|publisher=[[Greenwood Press]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-313-34207-3|series=Greenwood Icons|page=56|access-date=July 4, 2019|archive-date=January 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125002959/https://books.google.com/books?id=OTh8b2cyGBcC&pg=PA56|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="concise-description">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nuu0oQEACAAJ|title=Concise Description of the East River Bridge: With Full Details of Construction ... Two Lectures Delivered ... March 6 and 13, 1880|last=Farrington|first=E.F.|publisher=C.D. Wynkoop, Printer|year=1881|pages=25–26|access-date=July 4, 2019|archive-date=January 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125003119/https://books.google.com/books?id=nuu0oQEACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>

An elevated pedestrian-only promenade runs in between the two roadways and {{Convert|18|ft|m|abbr=}} above them.<ref name="nyt19850816">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/16/arts/it-s-time-to-cross-some-bridges-a-guide-to-4-prominent-promenades.html|title=It's Time to Cross Some Bridges: A Guide to 4 Prominent Promenades|last=Dunlap|first=David W|date=August 16, 1985|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=July 5, 2019|archive-date=July 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705214717/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/16/arts/it-s-time-to-cross-some-bridges-a-guide-to-4-prominent-promenades.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It typically runs {{Convert|4|ft|m|abbr=}} below the level of the crossbeams,<ref name="BBPr p. 26-27" /> except at the areas surrounding each tower. Here, the promenade rises to just above the level of the crossbeams, connecting to a balcony that slightly overhangs the two roadways.<ref>{{harvnb|ps=.|Brooklyn Bridge Promenade Recommendation Report|2016|p=10}}</ref> The path is generally {{Convert|10|to|17|ft|abbr=}} wide.<ref name="amny20160809">{{Cite web|first=Vincent|last=Barone|date=August 9, 2016|url=https://www.amny.com/transit/brooklyn-bridge-pedestrian-path-expansion-explored-by-department-of-transportation-1.12151504|title=City Considers Expansion of Brooklyn Bridge Path|website=[[AM New York Metro|am New York]]|language=en|access-date=July 5, 2019|archive-date=July 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705214718/https://www.amny.com/transit/brooklyn-bridge-pedestrian-path-expansion-explored-by-department-of-transportation-1.12151504|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BBPr p. 26-27">{{harvnb|ps=.|Brooklyn Bridge Promenade|2016|pp=26–27}}</ref> The iron railings were produced by [[Adrian Janes|Janes & Kirtland]], a Bronx iron foundry that also made the [[United States Capitol dome]] and the [[Bow Bridge (Central Park)|Bow Bridge]] in [[Central Park]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 11, 1902|title=Obituary; Edward R. Janes|pages=5|work=Hartford Courant|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19800987/edward-janes-obit/|access-date=August 14, 2021|via=newspapers.com|archive-date=August 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814165808/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19800987/edward-janes-obit/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Comfort|first=Randall|title=History of Bronx Borough, City of New York|publisher=North Side News Press|year=1906|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofbronxbo00comf}}</ref>

==== Approaches ====
Each of the side spans is reached by an approach ramp. The {{Convert|971|ft|m|abbr=|adj=on}} approach ramp from the Brooklyn side is shorter than the {{Convert|1567|ft|m|abbr=|adj=on}} approach ramp from the Manhattan side.<ref name="Barnes p. 28" /> The approaches are supported by [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance-style]] arches made of masonry; the arch openings themselves were filled with brick walls, with small windows within.<ref name="NYCL" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/lpc/downloads/pdf/presentation-materials/20180710/Brooklyn%20Bridge.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916194911/https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/lpc/downloads/pdf/presentation-materials/20180710/Brooklyn%20Bridge.pdf |archive-date=September 16, 2018 |url-status=live|title=Brooklyn Bridge|date=June 29, 2018|website=[[Government of New York City|nyc.gov]]|publisher=[[New York City Department of Transportation]]|access-date=June 18, 2019}}</ref> The approach ramp contains nine [[Arch bridge|arch]] or iron-[[girder bridge]]s across side streets in Manhattan and Brooklyn.<ref name="McCullough pp. 330-331">{{harvnb|ps=.|McCullough|1972|pp=330–331}}</ref>

[[File:Brooklyn Banks (4094206902).jpg|thumb|alt=The Brooklyn Banks, a skate park composed of brick obstacles under a series of steel viaducts|[[Brooklyn Banks]] skate park, seen in 2009]]

Underneath the Manhattan approach, a series of brick slopes or "banks" was developed into a [[skate park]], the [[Brooklyn Banks]], in the late 1980s.<ref name="nyt20100513">{{Cite news|last=Branch|first=John|date=May 13, 2010|title=To Fix Bridge, Skateboard Mecca May Be Lost|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/sports/14skateboard.html|access-date=May 11, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032411/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/sports/14skateboard.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The park uses the approach's support [[pillar]]s as obstacles.<ref name="nyt20050624">{{Cite news|last=Porter|first=Justin|date=June 24, 2005|title=Under a Bridge, And on Top of the World|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/24/nyregion/under-a-bridge-and-on-top-of-the-world.html|access-date=May 11, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=March 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309015737/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/24/nyregion/under-a-bridge-and-on-top-of-the-world.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the mid-2010s, the Brooklyn Banks were closed to the public because the area was being used as a storage site during the bridge's renovation.<ref name="nyt20100513" /> The [[skateboarding]] community has attempted to save the banks on multiple occasions; after the city destroyed the smaller banks in the 2000s, the city government agreed to keep the larger banks for skateboarding.<ref name="nyt20050624" /> When the NYCDOT removed the bricks from the banks in 2020, skateboarders started an [[online petition]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=It Looks Like the Brooklyn Banks May Be Done|url=https://skatenewswire.com/brooklyn-banks-destroyed/|date=May 10, 2020|website=Skate Newswire|language=en-US|access-date=May 11, 2020|archive-date=August 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814044115/https://skatenewswire.com/brooklyn-banks-destroyed/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 2020s, local resident Rosa Chang advocated for the {{convert|9|acre|adj=on}} space under the Manhattan approach to be converted into a recreational area known as Gotham Park.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Leland|first=John|date=July 27, 2024|title=You See Rubble and Garbage. She Sees New York's Next Great Park.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/27/nyregion/gotham-park-brooklyn-bridge-rosa-chang.html|access-date=July 28, 2024|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Some of the space under the Manhattan approach reopened in May 2023 as a park called the Arches;<ref>{{cite web |last=Izzo |first=Christina |date=May 26, 2023 |title=The Arches, a new public park, opens beneath the Brooklyn Bridge |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/the-arches-a-new-public-park-opens-beneath-the-brooklyn-bridge-052623 |access-date=November 17, 2024 |website=Time Out New York |postscript=none}}; {{cite web |last=Shivonne |first=Adeja |date=May 24, 2023 |title=Brooklyn Bridge turns 140, with a new addition open to the public |url=https://www.fox5ny.com/news/brooklyn-bridge-turns-140-the-arches-mayor-adams |access-date=November 17, 2024 |publisher=FOX 5 New York}}</ref> this was followed in November 2024 by another {{convert|15000|ft2|adj=on}} section of parkland.<ref>{{cite web |last=Quigley |first=Liam |date=November 17, 2024 |title=Public space reopens beneath Brooklyn Bridge, giving Chinatown a bit more room to breathe |url=https://gothamist.com/news/public-space-reopens-beneath-brooklyn-bridge-giving-chinatown-a-bit-more-room-to-breathe |access-date=November 17, 2024 |website=Gothamist}}</ref>

=== Cables ===
[[File:USA-NYC-Brooklyn Bridge3.jpg|thumb|left|View of diagonal stays and vertical suspender cables; the main cables are at top|alt=A view of diagonal stays and vertical suspender cables from below. The main cables run at the top.]]
The Brooklyn Bridge contains four main cables, which descend from the tops of the suspension towers and help support the deck. Two are located to the outside of the bridge's roadways, while two are in the median of the roadways.<ref name="McCullough pp. 29-31" /> Each main cable measures {{Convert|15.75|in|cm|abbr=}} in diameter and contains 5,282 parallel, [[Galvanization|galvanized]] steel wires wrapped closely together in a cylindrical shape.<ref name="Barnes p. 28" /><ref name="McCullough pp. 350-351">{{harvnb|ps=.|McCullough|1972|pp=350–351}}</ref><ref name="sun18910611">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33325930/|title=About the Brooklyn Bridge|date=June 11, 1891|work=[[The New York Sun]]|access-date=June 26, 2019|page=6|via=newspapers.com|archive-date=January 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125003042/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sun-about-the-brooklyn-bridge/33325930/|url-status=live}}</ref> These wires are bundled in 19 individual strands, with 278 wires to a strand.<ref name="McCullough pp. 350-351" /> This was the first use of bundling in a suspension bridge and took several months for workers to tie together.<ref name="nyt19291229">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1929/12/29/archives/a-builder-of-new-york-and-his-bridge-washington-a-roebling-who.html|title=A Builder Of New York And His Bridge; Washington A. Roebling, Who Erected the Brooklyn Span, Risked and Lost His Health in the Great Enterprise|last=Brown Brothers|date=December 29, 1929|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=July 1, 2019|archive-date=January 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125003123/https://www.nytimes.com/1929/12/29/archives/a-builder-of-new-york-and-his-bridge-washington-a-roebling-who.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Since the 2000s, the main cables have also supported a series of 24-[[watt]] [[LED]] lighting fixtures, referred to as "necklace lights" due to their shape.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/nyregion/thecity/30disp.html|title=His View From the Bridge|last=Mooney|first=Jake|date=December 30, 2007|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=July 8, 2019|archive-date=July 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708141340/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/nyregion/thecity/30disp.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In addition, either 1,088,<ref name="nyt19860308" /> 1,096,<ref name="n152878759">{{Cite news |date=November 18, 1986 |title=Wire rope for bridge to be shipped |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-wire-rope-for-bridge-to-be-sh/152878759/ |access-date=August 8, 2024 |work=New York Daily News |pages=120 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> or 1,520 galvanized steel wire suspender cables hang downward from the main cables.<ref name="Talbot p. 4" /> Another 400 cable [[wikt:stay#Etymology 3|stays]] extend diagonally from the towers. The vertical suspender cables and diagonal cable stays hold up the truss structure around the bridge deck.<ref name="Talbot p. 4" /><ref name="nyt19860308" /><ref name="n152878759" /> The bridge's suspenders originally used wire rope, which was replaced in the 1980s with galvanized steel made by [[Bethlehem Steel]].<ref name="Talbot p. 4" /><ref name="Morning Call m830">{{cite web |date=February 24, 1986 |title=Brooklyn Bridge Cables to Get Relief From Steel Briefly |url=https://www.mcall.com/1986/02/24/brooklyn-bridge-cables-to-get-relief-from-steel-briefly/ |access-date=August 8, 2024 |website=The Morning Call}}</ref> The vertical suspender cables measure {{convert|8|to|130|ft}} long, and the diagonal stays measure {{convert|138|to|449|ft}} long.<ref name="n152878759" />

==== Anchorages ====
Each side of the bridge contains an anchorage for the main cables. The anchorages are [[trapezoid]]al limestone structures located slightly inland of the shore, measuring {{convert|129|by|119|ft|m|abbr=}} at the base and {{convert|117|by|104|ft|m|abbr=}} at the top.<ref name="NRHI Nomination Form p. 2" /><ref name="Barnes p. 28" /> Each anchorage weighs {{Convert|60,000|ST|LT MT|abbr=}}.<ref name="NRHI Nomination Form p. 2" /> The Manhattan anchorage rests on a foundation of bedrock while the Brooklyn anchorage rests on clay.<ref name="sun18910611" />

The anchorages both have four [[anchor plate]]s, one for each of the main cables, which are located near ground level and parallel to the ground. The anchor plates measure {{Convert|16|by|17.5|ft|m|abbr=}}, with a thickness of {{Convert|2.5|ft|m||abbr=}} and weigh {{Convert|46000|lb|kg|abbr=}} each. Each anchor plate is connected to the respective main cable by two sets of nine [[eyebar]]s, each of which is about {{Convert|12.5|ft|m|abbr=}} long and up to {{convert|9|by|3|in|mm|abbr=}} thick.<ref>{{harvnb|ps=.|McCullough|1972|p=308}}</ref><ref name="NRHI Nomination Form p. 5">{{harvnb|ps=.|National Park Service|1966|p=5}}</ref> The chains of eyebars curve downward from the cables toward the anchor plates, and the eyebars vary in size depending on their position.{{efn|The largest eyebars, which carry more stress, are located furthest away from the anchor plates. The eyebars closer to the anchor plates are progressively smaller.<ref name="McCullough pp. 330-331" />}}<ref name="McCullough pp. 330-331" />

The anchorages also contain numerous passageways and compartments.<ref name="nyt19990110">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/10/nyregion/fyi-780359.html|title=F.y.i.|last=Schneider|first=Daniel B|date=January 10, 1999|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=July 2, 2019|archive-date=July 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702151459/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/10/nyregion/fyi-780359.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Starting in 1876,<ref name="npr20170130">{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/01/30/511204977/a-sip-of-history-the-hidden-wine-cellars-under-the-brooklyn-bridge|title=A Sip Of History: The Hidden Wine Cellars Under The Brooklyn Bridge|website=[[NPR.org]]|date=January 30, 2017|language=en|access-date=July 2, 2019|last1=Jankowski|first1=Nicole|archive-date=July 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702145912/https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/01/30/511204977/a-sip-of-history-the-hidden-wine-cellars-under-the-brooklyn-bridge|url-status=live}}</ref> in order to fund the bridge's maintenance, the New York City government made the large vaults under the bridge's Manhattan anchorage available for rent, and they were in constant use during the early 20th century.<ref name="nyt19990110" /><ref name="nyt19760922">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/09/22/archives/the-other-brooklyn-bridge-spacious-offices-and-labyrinthine-caves.html|title=The 'Other' Brooklyn Bridge: Spacious Offices and Labyrinthine Caves|last=Chambers|first=Marcia|date=September 22, 1976|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=July 2, 2019|archive-date=July 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702165452/https://www.nytimes.com/1976/09/22/archives/the-other-brooklyn-bridge-spacious-offices-and-labyrinthine-caves.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The vaults were used to store wine, as they were kept at a consistent {{convert|60|F|C}} temperature due to a lack of air circulation.<ref name="nyt19990110" /> The Manhattan vault was called the '''"Blue Grotto"''' because of a shrine to the [[Virgin Mary]] next to an opening at the entrance.<ref name="nyt19760922" /> The vaults were closed for public use in the late 1910s and 1920s during [[World War I]] and [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] but were reopened thereafter.<ref name="npr20170130" /><ref name="nyt19760922" /> When ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' magazine visited one of the cellars in 1978, it discovered a "fading inscription" on a wall reading: "Who loveth not wine, women and song, he remaineth a fool his whole life long."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7-ACAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA88|title=Notes from the Underground|work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|page=88|language=en|access-date=July 2, 2019|date=July 10, 1978|archive-date=January 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125003124/https://books.google.com/books?id=7-ACAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA88#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="npr20170130" /> Leaks found within the vault's spaces necessitated repairs during the late 1980s and early 1990s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/28/business/real-estate-bridge-vault-development-is-stalled.html|title=Real Estate; Bridge-Vault Development Is Stalled|last=Lyons|first=Richard D|date=February 28, 1990|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=July 8, 2019|archive-date=January 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125003041/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/28/business/real-estate-bridge-vault-development-is-stalled.html|url-status=live}}</ref> By the late 1990s, the chambers were being used to store maintenance equipment.<ref name="nyt19990110" />

=== Towers ===
[[File:Standing_Tall_(2819665347).jpg|thumb|alt=View of the pointed arches of the suspension tower from below|Characteristic pointed arches of the bridge's [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] suspension towers]]
The bridge's two suspension towers are {{convert|278|ft|m|abbr=}} tall with a footprint of {{Convert|140|by|59|ft|abbr=}} at the high water line.<ref name="Barnes p. 28" /><ref name="Facts on File 1914 p. 839" /><ref name="McCullough pp. 29-31" /> They are built of [[limestone]], [[granite]], and [[Rosendale cement]]. The limestone was quarried at the [[Ligonier Point Historic District|Clark Quarry]] in [[Essex County, New York]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/12001129.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225060708/https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/12001129.pdf |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |url-status=live|title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Ligonier Point Historic District |access-date=February 1, 2016 |first1=William E. |last1=Krattinger |first2=Darcey |last2=Hale |first3=Bruce |last3=Hale |first4=Morris |last4=Glenn |date=August 2012 |page=8}}</ref> The granite blocks were quarried and shaped on [[Vinalhaven, Maine|Vinalhaven Island, Maine]], under a contract with the Bodwell Granite Company, and delivered from Maine to New York by schooner.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McLane |first1=Charles B. |last2=McLane |first2=Carol Evarts |title=Islands of the Mid-Maine Coast |publisher=Tilbury House & Island Institute |volume=I |year=1997 |page=134 |isbn=978-0884481850}}</ref> The Manhattan tower contains {{Convert|46,945|yd3|m3|abbr=}} of masonry, while the Brooklyn tower has {{Convert|38,214|yd3|m3|abbr=}} of masonry.<ref name="NRHI Nomination Form p. 2" /><ref name="Barnes p. 28" /> There are 56 [[LED]] lamps mounted onto the towers.<ref name="Simko-Bednarski 2024 a204">{{cite web |last=Simko-Bednarski |first=Evan |date=January 11, 2024 |title=Brooklyn Bridge's New Bright Lights Shine on Storied NYC Landmark |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/01/11/brooklyn-bridges-new-bright-lights-shine-on-storied-nyc-landmark/ |access-date=January 13, 2024 |website=New York Daily News |postscript=none |archive-date=January 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240113030551/https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/01/11/brooklyn-bridges-new-bright-lights-shine-on-storied-nyc-landmark/ |url-status=live }}; {{cite web |last=Beer |first=Isabel Song |date=January 12, 2024 |title=DOT celebrates Brooklyn Bridge 'glow up,' iconic span will be lit for first time since 1983 |url=https://www.brooklynpaper.com/dot-brooklyn-bridge-glow-up/ |access-date=January 13, 2024 |website=Brooklyn Paper |archive-date=January 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112230357/https://www.brooklynpaper.com/dot-brooklyn-bridge-glow-up/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Each tower contains a pair of [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] pointed arches, through which the roadways run. The arch openings are {{Convert|117|ft|m|abbr=}} tall and {{Convert|33.75|ft|m|abbr=}} wide.<ref name="NRHI Nomination Form p. 5" /><ref name="McCullough p. 564" /> The tops of the towers are located {{Convert|159|ft|m|abbr=}} above the floor of each arch opening, while the floors of the openings are {{Convert|119.25|ft|m|abbr=}} above mean water level, giving the towers a total height of {{convert|278.25|ft}} above mean high water.<ref name="Barnes p. 28" /><ref name="McCullough p. 564">{{harvnb|ps=.|McCullough|1972|p=564}}</ref>

====Caissons====
The towers rest on underwater [[Caisson (engineering)|caissons]] made of [[southern yellow pine]] and filled with cement.<ref name="Barnes p. 28" /> Inside both caissons were spaces for construction workers. The Manhattan side's caisson is slightly larger, measuring {{Convert|172|by|102|ft|m|abbr=}} and located {{Convert|78.5|ft|m|abbr=}} below high water, while the Brooklyn side's caisson measures {{Convert|168|by|102|ft|m|abbr=}} and is located {{Convert|44.5|ft|m|abbr=}} below high water. The caissons were designed to hold at least the weight of the towers which would exert a pressure of {{Convert|5|ST/ft2||abbr=}} when fully built, but the caissons were over-engineered for safety. During an accident on the Brooklyn side, when air pressure was lost and the partially-built towers dropped full-force down, the caisson sustained an estimated pressure of {{Convert|23|ST/ft2||abbr=}} with only minor damage.<ref name="Barnes p. 28" /><ref>{{harvnb|ps=.|National Park Service|1966|pp=2, 5}}</ref> Most of the timber used in the bridge's construction, including in the caissons, came from mills at [[Gascoigne Bluff]] on [[St. Simons, Georgia|St. Simons Island, Georgia]].<ref>{{cite book | last1=Davis | first1=J. | last2=Galland | first2=B. | title=Island Time: An Illustrated History of St. Simons Island, Georgia | publisher=University of Georgia Press | year=2013 | isbn=978-0-8203-4245-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6QJ5AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA144 | access-date=February 16, 2020 | page=144}}</ref>

The Brooklyn side's caisson, which was built first, originally had a height of {{Convert|9.5|ft|m|abbr=}} and a ceiling composed of five layers of timber, each layer {{Convert|1|ft|m|abbr=}} tall. Ten more layers of timber were later added atop the ceiling, and the entire caisson was wrapped in tin and wood for further protection against flooding. The thickness of the caisson's sides was {{Convert|8|ft|m|abbr=}} at both the bottom and the top. The caisson had six chambers: two each for [[dredging]], supply shafts, and [[airlock]]s.<ref name="structure mag">{{cite web|url=https://www.structuremag.org/?p=10604|title=Brooklyn Bridge, Part 2|date=November 5, 2012|website=Structure magazine|access-date=June 18, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308125625/https://www.structuremag.org/?p=10604|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NRHI Nomination Form p. 2" />

The caisson on the Manhattan side was slightly different because it had to be installed at a greater depth. To protect against the increased air pressure at that depth, the Manhattan caisson had 22 layers of timber on its roof, seven more than its Brooklyn counterpart had. The Manhattan caisson also had fifty {{Convert|4|in|cm|abbr=|adj=mid|-diameter}} pipes for sand removal, a fireproof iron-boilerplate interior, and different airlocks and communication systems.<ref name="NRHI Nomination Form p. 5" /><ref name="structure mag" /><ref>{{harvnb|ps=.|McCullough|1972|pp=269–271}}</ref><ref name="nydh18710418">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33000026/|title=Brooklyn's Bridge; The Mammoth Caisson for the New York Tower|date=April 18, 1871|work=[[New York Daily Herald]]|access-date=June 18, 2019|page=13|via=newspapers.com}}</ref>