Good documentary, you should be proud to been a part of making it Mr. Shepphird. I was just 8 years old at the time this video was made. It's interesting how Sam Schwartz really became a household name here in NYC, but not from the Technical Advisory Committee and the saving of the Williamsburg Bridge, but from his post-NYC DOT work involving traffic and transit reports, where we all came to know him as "Gridlock Sam".
My Grandmother owned an apartment building on South 6th, Street, between Wythe, and Berry Street from 1971, to 1996. I am very familiar with the Williamsburg Bridge. Every time the subway trains would cross to and from the bridge you could feel the whole building shake. There was a park called Sand Park, underneath the bridge. We played baseball, handball, etc... In the early to late 70's the Department Of Sanitation parked their trucks under neath the bridge right next to the stone wall of the bridge near Kent Avenue, on the South 6th Street, side. On South 5th Street, between Berry Street, and Beford Avenue, the Department Of Correction, parked Their vehicles and buses under neath the bridge as well. Also, the Department Of Traffic had their buildings and vehicals past Kent Street right up to the East River, and between South 6th, and South 5th Street, right under neath the bridge. Not to mentioned the Schaefer Beer Company, was on the South side of the bridge and the Domino Sugar Plant, was on the North side of the bridge near the East River. All of these buildings are gone except the Williamsburg Bridge. Amazing!
This whole area is gentrified now. It is completely unrecognizable. Just a bunch of bars and hipsters from other states. They pushed away the local low income population. And it’s tragic
Glad they saved it they are iconic I remember seeing the Brooklyn , Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridge back in 1997 which was my first time visiting NYC and was in awe then in 2008 me and two friends walked the Williamsburg and we talked about how the bridge was in disrepair in the 1980's but to walk it then in 2008 was breathtaking I really enjoyed it. We have nothing like them here in Chicago but we are still awesome with the " L" .
Bridge featured in the 2018 TV series of The Alienist - The Boy On The Bridge episode. Setting was the 50' high wooden scaffolding underneath The Williamsburg Bridge under construction in 1896
No, this is different, though it was basically the same issue. In the 1970's and 1980's, the NYC bridges were neglected due to budget cuts. This resulted in the bridges being weakened to the point of them nearly collapsing. In 1981, one of the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge snapped and killed someone. This documentary is about the 1988 shutdown of the Williamsburg Bridge. There were literally holes in the roadway. The Manhattan Bridge also had major structural issues. Fortunately, all three bridges were eventually repaired.
Thankfully, all three of the East River bridges are preserved as landmarks. Except only one bridge that replaced the Kosciusko Bridge is the new bridge that is still in use, and it has been two years since the new Kosciusko Bridge opened to reduced traffic headaches. In the old Kosciusko Bridge, it had problems overtime due to heavy traffic.
Leonard Wilson I’m glad that all NYC landmark bridges are safe after so many repairs like replacing cable wires and the whole thing to make the bridge safer. Remember what happened in 1940 when the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse due to heavy winds that wiggled and ended up collapsing the bridge completely? Not in New York, but I hope it won’t happened again. Williamsburg Bridge had problems over the years due to rusty cable wires and the whole sha-bang. No one wants to drive this bridge, and that was in the late 1980’s. Remember what happened to the old Lake Champlain Bridge? That has been closed since early to mid 2009 and then it got destroyed by dynamite on a snowy day, and then built a new bridge and finally opened by 2011. The Lake Champlain Bridge connects the state border of New York and Vermont.
In the case of the Manhattan Bridge they had to accommodate for a design flaw caused when trains in opposing directions on the opposing side twisted the structure beyond what was expected. They also had to account for decades of having the north side subway tracks carry way more service, leaving the northern support cable overstressed.
I’m disappointed that the bike and walking paths were narrowed and merged on the Manhattan side. Plus the handsome entry plinth that started the walkway was demolished except for a token piece of an archway. Major priority for automobiles; very 20th Century misguided. People over cars.
THIS is the New York I remember...and the New York I miss.
Good documentary, you should be proud to been a part of making it Mr. Shepphird. I was just 8 years old at the time this video was made. It's interesting how Sam Schwartz really became a household name here in NYC, but not from the Technical Advisory Committee and the saving of the Williamsburg Bridge, but from his post-NYC DOT work involving traffic and transit reports, where we all came to know him as "Gridlock Sam".
Visited it two weeks ago….amazing bridge, this is a wonderful document of its history!
I live in williamsburg since i was born and i have been walking the williamsburg bridge back and fourth since I was a baby
My Grandmother owned an apartment building on South 6th, Street, between Wythe, and Berry Street from 1971, to 1996. I am very familiar with the Williamsburg Bridge. Every time the subway trains would cross to and from the bridge you could feel the whole building shake. There was a park called Sand Park, underneath the bridge. We played baseball, handball, etc... In the early to late 70's the Department Of Sanitation parked their trucks under neath the bridge right next to the stone wall of the bridge near Kent Avenue, on the South 6th Street, side. On South 5th Street, between Berry Street, and Beford Avenue, the Department Of Correction, parked Their vehicles and buses under neath the bridge as well. Also, the Department Of Traffic had their buildings and vehicals past Kent Street right up to the East River, and between South 6th, and South 5th Street, right under neath the bridge. Not to mentioned the Schaefer Beer Company, was on the South side of the bridge and the Domino Sugar Plant, was on the North side of the bridge near the East River. All of these buildings are gone except the Williamsburg Bridge. Amazing!
This whole area is gentrified now. It is completely unrecognizable. Just a bunch of bars and hipsters from other states. They pushed away the local low income population. And it’s tragic
One of my favorite bridges to climb and photograph! Legally!
Glad they saved it they are iconic I remember seeing the Brooklyn , Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridge back in 1997 which was my first time visiting NYC and was in awe then in 2008 me and two friends walked the Williamsburg and we talked about how the bridge was in disrepair in the 1980's but to walk it then in 2008 was breathtaking I really enjoyed it.
We have nothing like them here in Chicago but we are still awesome with the " L" .
Great piece and excellent work John. Thank you so much for sharing.
This was the trouble with suspension bridges, everything relies on the main cables, its why nowadays they build cable stayed bridges.
Bridge featured in the 2018 TV series of The Alienist - The Boy On The Bridge episode.
Setting was the 50' high wooden scaffolding underneath The Williamsburg Bridge under construction in 1896
9:56 I didn’t know Mr. Six was instrumental in Williamsburg Bridge’s reconstruction
I was in Ny city and saw wooded built up posts holding up structure at the lower roadway .
Unreal...ungalvanized steel.
The three best ways to deal with corrosion on a bridge are..... Prevention, prevention, prevention.
Is there a video about the 1987 Manhttan bridge closeure?
No, this is different, though it was basically the same issue. In the 1970's and 1980's, the NYC bridges were neglected due to budget cuts. This resulted in the bridges being weakened to the point of them nearly collapsing. In 1981, one of the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge snapped and killed someone. This documentary is about the 1988 shutdown of the Williamsburg Bridge. There were literally holes in the roadway. The Manhattan Bridge also had major structural issues. Fortunately, all three bridges were eventually repaired.
Thankfully, all three of the East River bridges are preserved as landmarks. Except only one bridge that replaced the Kosciusko Bridge is the new bridge that is still in use, and it has been two years since the new Kosciusko Bridge opened to reduced traffic headaches. In the old Kosciusko Bridge, it had problems overtime due to heavy traffic.
Leonard Wilson I’m glad that all NYC landmark bridges are safe after so many repairs like replacing cable wires and the whole thing to make the bridge safer.
Remember what happened in 1940 when the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse due to heavy winds that wiggled and ended up collapsing the bridge completely? Not in New York, but I hope it won’t happened again. Williamsburg Bridge had problems over the years due to rusty cable wires and the whole sha-bang. No one wants to drive this bridge, and that was in the late 1980’s.
Remember what happened to the old Lake Champlain Bridge? That has been closed since early to mid 2009 and then it got destroyed by dynamite on a snowy day, and then built a new bridge and finally opened by 2011. The Lake Champlain Bridge connects the state border of New York and Vermont.
In the case of the Manhattan Bridge they had to accommodate for a design flaw caused when trains in opposing directions on the opposing side twisted the structure beyond what was expected. They also had to account for decades of having the north side subway tracks carry way more service, leaving the northern support cable overstressed.
Tons of butter in those greedy pockets, courtesy of John Q Taxpayer.......
It's very Rusty today it's scary how much rest it has even in 2022
I’m disappointed that the bike and walking paths were narrowed and merged on the Manhattan side. Plus the handsome entry plinth that started the walkway was demolished except for a token piece of an archway. Major priority for automobiles; very 20th Century misguided. People over cars.
The big movers and shakers in the city don't get around on foot.
Cars carry people. Its not a competition.
The woke left objects! Ten white male engineers….