Construction on the bridge’s towers had commenced by at least 1901. By 1903, three workers had died while working on the Brooklyn-side tower’s caisson. A $10 million grant for the bridge’s construction was granted in May 1904 with the expectation that work on the span would start later that year.[
A plan for the suspension-bridge span was announced in 1903. Elevated and trolley routes would use the Manhattan Bridge, and there would be large balconies and enormous spaces within the towers’ anchorages. However, the Municipal Art Commission raised objections to one of the bridge’s plans, which delayed the start of construction for the span.
Another set of plans was unveiled in June 1904 by New York City Bridge Commissioner Gustav Lindenthal, but the second plan was also rejected. The dispute revolved around whether eyebars or wire cables should be used in the new bridge. The MAC voted to use wire cables in the bridge in September 1904.Because of this dispute, the plans for Manhattan Bridge are sometimes mistakenly attributed to Lindenthal. Other delays arose over the proposed placement of the bridge’s termini on either side.
The first temporary wire between the Manhattan Bridge’s two towers was strung in June 1908. It was to be replaced later with permanent, thicker main cables, each 21 inches (53 cm) thick, on both sides of the bridge’s deck. By this time, the construction cost had increased to $22 million. During the stringing of the anchorages, one of the cables on the Brooklyn side broke loose, injuring two people.
The last of the suspender ropes supporting the main cables was strung in December of that year. The cables had been strung in four months, The construction of the bridge span required 30,000 tons of steel. Erection of the superstructure and steel fabrication were contracted to The Phoenix Bridge Company. The first girder for the new bridge was installed in February 1909. By April, the majority of the span had been fitted into place between the main cables.
The New York City Rapid Transit Commission recommended the construction of a subway line across the Manhattan Bridge in 1905. This line was approved in 1907. The New York City Public Service Commission requested permission to start constructing the subway tracks in March 1908. This plan was approved in May.[
A group of 100 “leading citizens of Brooklyn” walked over the bridge on December 5, 1909, marking the unofficial completion of the bridge. The bridge was officially opened by outgoing Mayor George B. McClellan Jr. on December 31, 1909. Shortly after opening, a fire on the Brooklyn side of the Manhattan Bridge damaged the structure. Source: Wikipedia.
