About the author ⁄ Alice Oviatt-Lawrence

Alice Oviatt-Lawrence is principal of Preservation Enterprises – an international architectural-engineering research and historic-building analysis organization. She serves on the SEAoNY Publications Committee and may be reached at strucBridge@aol.co.uk.

The Unfinished Bridge

Othmar Ammann’s George Washington Bridge, NYC

The many 19^th century engineering design-proposals to span the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey reveal a progressive shift from heavy rail-bridge designs to lighter bridges, as the era burst into the vehicle age in the 1920s. Before then, ferries and car floats transferred freight, horse-drawn carriages, goods, and a few “horseless carriages” across the Hudson River to and from Manhattan, to connect with various rail companies to complete the land transport. With suburban development, combined with the popularity of the automobile, a public outcry developed for the expansion of roads and bridges.

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Apr, 2023 By Alice Oviatt-Lawrence In Articles, Iconic Structures

The Brooklyn Bridge Masonry ~1860-2019

The landmark Gothic-Revival massive granite towers of the Brooklyn Bridge, with their arrays of cable-and-stay structural scheme, developed in the usual way for its era. Commercial East River shipping and ferry operators in the 1860s protested when they foresaw that if the East River Bridge in New York City, proposed by John Roebling (b.1806), was built, it would undercut their highly profitable river businesses. The flourishing river interests organized and put political pressure on the War Department to thwart the proposal. …

May, 2019 By Alice Oviatt-Lawrence In Historic Structures Comments 1

Gustav Lindenthal’s Little Hell Gate Rail Bridge

New York City

Near the flagship Hell Gate Bridge (STRUCTURE, October 2013), and crossing a former inlet between Wards and Randalls Islands, stands Gustav Lindenthal’s still-in-service 1915 Little Hell Gate Bridge; four unique skewed-deck truss spans of reverse parabolic bowstring arches. They are visually striking, sited as they are above flat land and below miles of high plate-girder viaducts. The total length between centers of the abutments is 1153.5 feet. Four-rail tracks operate on the 60-foot wide deck (Figure 1). …

Mar, 2015 By Alice Oviatt-Lawrence In Articles, Historic Structures

Engineering History

Gustav Lindenthal’s New York City Hell Gate Bridge ~1917

Captains steering nineteenth century heavy shipping-traffic remained vigilant when navigating the waterway of the 850-foot wide Hell Gate Sector of New York City’s East River, which is flanked by two Manhattan islands and land eastward in Queens, New York. Notoriously ferocious waters, unexpected currents, and huge rocks lurked below the turbulent surface. Yet this economically essential waterway provided major regional freight operations. …

Oct, 2013 By Alice Oviatt-Lawrence In Articles, Historic Structures Comments 2

To Engineer is to Sustain

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Oct, 2012 By Alice Oviatt-Lawrence In Articles, Historic Structures Comments 0

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