Six Bridges

Othmar Ammann's name may be unfamiliar, but the six magnificent New York City bridges he created are known to all: George Washington, Bayonne, Triborough, Bronx-Whitestone, Throgs Neck, and Verrazano-Narrows. Ammann's long-span bridges came to define an epoch and shape the modern New York metropolis. This book is the first to examine the genius of Ammann and the special group of bridges he designed and engineered as part of the New York region's interstate highway system. With more than 200 archival photographs, the book vividly displays the physical transformation of New York, the development of long-span suspension structures, the construction process of each bridge, and the spectacular completed bridges. Widely considered the greatest American bridge designer of the twentieth century, Swiss-born Ammann (1879-1965) gained experience designing railroad bridges in Pennsylvania before beginning his work in New York City. This book considers the artistic, scientific, and technical achievements embodied in the six major bridges Ammann produced between 1925 and 1964, as well as the bridges' impact on the city. The book features an illustrated and annotated list of all Ammann's built and unbuilt projects and a glossary of technical terms.