The Brooklyn Bridge had to be closed temporarily on Tuesday after its underside was snagged by a crane being transported on a barge. The accident struck a 20ft hole in scaffolding erected to aid painters who are maintaining the bridge after the National Park Service awarded the structure the status of a National Historic Landmark. River traffic was halted while police investigated but no injuries have been reported.

Spanning the East River and connecting the New York boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, the historic bridge was designed by John Augustus Roebling in the 1860s and the construction overseen by his son Warren after Roebling sustained a crush injury during a construction survey which eventually led to his death. At the time of its completion the Brooklyn Bridge was the longest bridge in the world and has since become an iconic landmark for the city of New York.