The Brooklyn Bridge was built by a woman after her husband's injury

Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge began in 1869 under chief engineer John Roebling, who died weeks in from a tetanus infection caused by a construction accident. His son Washington Roebling took over but became incapacitated by decompression sickness from working in the underwater caissons. For 11 years, Washington's wife Emily Roebling effectively led the project — learning enough advanced mathematics and engineering to supervise construction daily, liaise with engineers, and represent the project to politicians. She was the first person to cross the completed bridge when it opened in 1883.

Source: McCullough, The Great Bridge (1972)