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Re: The Manhattan Bridge

Posted by N6 Limited on Tue Jul 28 13:56:43 2009, in response to Re: The Manhattan Bridge, posted by MainR3664 on Tue Jul 28 13:32:29 2009.

The stiffening trusses provided an additional level of stability, albeit at a price of aesthetics. Nevertheless, the deck of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge tended to sway more than most suspension bridges. On November 12, 1968, the bridge swayed vertically by as much as ten inches during a Nor'easter in which winds gusted as much as 70 miles per hour. The incident closed the span for five hours during the morning rush.

Ralph Herman, contributor to nycroads.com and misc.transport.road, provides this story on the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge as follows:

When the bridge began to sway, motorists stalled in traffic abandoned their vehicles mid-span and ran down the roadway toward the shoreline. The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) had to close the Whitestone Bridge at the height of the morning rush hour because of the abandoned vehicles, as well as obvious concern by the public about the integrity of the bridge. I also remember the TBTA engineers checked the bridge, then had their public relations people assure the public the bridge was safe. But because of a design flaw, the TBTA admitted it would sway more than the other New York area suspension bridges.

George Schoepfer, deputy chief engineer at the TBTA, responded in The New York Times:

All suspension bridges sway in the wind. If they didn't have give, they would snap. The reason that motorists noticed the sway today is because they were sitting in stalled cars. They felt it move. They don't notice it much when driving.