Brooklyn Bridge, span over the East River, New York City, between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan. The bridge was designed by the American engineer John Augustus Roebling, and construction was begun in 1869 by his son Washington Augustus Roebling. When the Brooklyn Bridge was opened for use on May 24, 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. The main suspension span is 486 m (1,595 ft) long; the average height above the river is 41 m (133 ft); and the overall length is 2,065 m (6,775 ft).