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two extreme positions somewhere between which all concerned would agree that a balance of interests most beneficial to the general public must be determined:

From the viewpoint of traffic across the river the best arrangement would be level bridges at the grade of the connecting streets, regardless of river traffic. The more bridges are raised above that standard, apart from any question of first cost, the greater will be the interference with travel across the river, up to the point of prohibitive grades on the bridges and their approaches. Before this point is reached drawbridges must be considered which, while often required and adopted, are objectionable to the interests using the bridges and those passing under or through the bridges.

Wharf at Cologne, showing heights of boats

From the viewpoint of the river interests the most complete improvement would be to do away with the bridges entirely, thus giving absolute freedom of navigation. This is out of the question. The next best thing from that point of view would be to change the bridges to one span each across the river from bank to bank with height enough for passage beneath of the highest floating structures at all stages of the river. This would be impracticable without remodeling the city along both sides of the river for long distances from the banks at an expense so great as to be almost beyond computation. Anything less than this will impose, at least in theory, some hindrance upon river navigation, and this hindrance will be greater in amount as the head room is decreased and as piers are introduced into the river.

The aim in arriving at a solution of the bridge problem must be to adjust these conflicting interests impartially; and the factors to be considered in arriving at such an adjustment are these:

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Last modified on 22-Dec 1999
Design format: copyright 1997-1999 Bruce S. Cridlebaugh
Original document: Frederick Law Olmsted, 1910