Did you know that New Jersey was once home to the longest suspension bridge in the world? For several years in the 1930s, the George Washington Bridge impressed the world as a seemingly impossible engineering feat!
The George Washington Bridge connects Fort Lee, New Jersey, to Manhattan, New York City. It is the busiest bridge in the world, and nearly everyone in New Jersey has been through it at least once in their lifetime.
The bridge was inaugurated in 1931 and was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time. Although it was only surpassed a few years later when the Golden Gate Bridge opened, the GWB is a marvel of modern engineering that impressed the entire world as the first cars started crossing.
If you’ve ever wondered how much steel and wire was used to create the bridge, the answer is simple: a lot/
A few quick numbers to consider: The original construction of the single-level bridge required over 100,000 tons of fabricated steel and 25,000 tons of wire. If you laid the wire from end to end, it would stretch over 105,000 miles!
From 1931 to 1962, the bridge offered a single level of carriageway connecting New York to NJ. However, it soon became apparent that the bridge was too busy!
To counter the traffic, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey built a second level, under the roof. Today travelers can choose to drive up or down. What’s your preference?
Today, the bridge carries 14 lanes of traffic and is the busiest motor vehicle bridge on the planet. The upper span has 4 lanes in each direction, while below there are six total lanes running back and forth from Fort Lee to Washington Heights.
If you prefer to cross the bridge on foot or by bicycle, you can use the southern sidewalk on the upper level. Although there are two sidewalks, the northern one is almost always closed.
Although we can all complain about GWB traffic (and we don’t even get started on Bridgegate’s conversation!), it’s truly an engineering marvel and our lives would be so much more difficult without this river crossing!
So, next time you cross the Hudson, whether you are a lower level traveler or you like to admire the view from the upper deck, think about the impressive feat that went into building this huge record-breaking bridge way back in the 1930s. .
Really, it’s an amazing work of art!
Is the GWB part of your commute? Have you been on it lately?
New Jersey is full of wonders, both man-made and natural. We’d love to hear about your favorite places in the Garden State!
Street address: George Washington Bridge, Fort Lee, NJ 07024, USA
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