Days without a bridge failure: 
Temperatures in NYC have reached their highest point so far this year, with Central Park reading 95°F (35°C) yesterday. This will be the 5th straight day with temperatures above 90°F (32.2°C). New York City sees 15 days reach 90°F (32.2°C) per year on average.
From what I read the bridge was built in 1898 and had its last major overhaul in 2004. NYC has seen hotter temps than 95°F/35°C during those 126 years. It got up to 108/42 degrees in 1936 for example, and broke 100/37 several times since 2004.
I feel like there's more going on there than mere thermal expansion, which should be accounted for in a rotating swing bridge like this. I don't know much about geology but could the ground on either side shift enough without, say, an earthquake causing it?
I am a geologist actually and just to be clear that’s definitely not what happened. The only things I can imagine actually happened to cause this were lack of maintenance resulting in rust, which expands and as a result can lock the bridge up. Also bare metal in the sun can get much hotter than air temperature, so the bridge was probably significantly warmer than the air which resulted in greater thermal expansion
I wonder what corners were cut in 2004.
Well pretty sure Giuliani was still mayor so my guess is every possible corner was cut
It's a miracle that bridge didn't end up a sphere.