Last Sunday mom felt well enough to get out of the hotel room so we took a little drive over to the area of Fort Lee to view the George Washington Bridge from afar. Over the last year, but especially these last several weeks we have driven back and forth over this bridge countless times. I had never explored the history of the bridge and when I did it was truly so fascinating to learn. I hope you enjoy these pictures and the history behind the bridge!
The George Washington Bridge spans over the Hudson River connecting New Jersey and New York City. At the time it was built it was twice as long as any other suspension bridge and is still considered by many to be the marvel of suspension bridges.
The building of the bridge presented quite a challenge to those who worked on it as it was difficult to find out a way to span the Hudson River. For over a 100 years this was the challenge. Finally Othmar Ammann, a Swiss born architect and engineer, proposed a design that was ultimately chosen. Nearly a hundred years ago (he proposed the bridge design in 1923) what seemed like an impossibility was going to become a reality that would help millions of people each year, including us.
Construction on the bridge was started in 1927 and was opened to traffic in 1931. In 1932 (the first full year of use) more than 5.5 million vehicles used the bridge and in 1962 the lower level was finalized.
It is amazing to think about how this design that was created in 1923 has stood the test of time, been added to, and continues to be a main point of crossing each day for so many people!
I shared a reel on instagram about the bridge that you can see HERE!
Interested in reading about other bridges that I have shared about on the blog? Click on the links below:
Confederation Bridge (Prince Edward Island)
Information on the George Washington Bridge was taken from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Website.
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