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Wednesday marks the 85th anniversary of the Queensboro Bridge. Conceived in the 1850s, the bridge took more than 50 years to plan and build. More than any other development, the Queensboro Bridge created the modern urban borough of Queens.
An important step in the long process of building the bridge came in 1867. Wealthy citizens of Long Island City sought a direct link between New York City and Queens. They anticipated great profits from commercial traffic heading from Long Island to Manhattan. A carriage roadway connecting Manhattan to the cemeteries in Queens and Long Island would enable businessmen to capitalize on the lucrative funeral trade. A bridge in Queens would also accommodate wealthy travelers coming from the exclusive residential areas on Long Island to Manhattan. Queens citizens incorporated the New York and Long Island Bridge Co. to sponsor the project.
Construction began in 1881 but was plagued by many delays. The project gained crucial momentum in 1898 when Queens County consolidated with the other four boroughs to form Greater New York. The...