New Jersey-New York

The George Washington Bridge crosses the Hudson River between Upper Manhattan (at West 178th Street) and Fort Lee, New Jersey. The bridge was designed by Othmar H. Ammann. Ground was broken for the original six-lane bridge in October 1927; the bridge was opened to traffic on October 25, 1931. Two additional lanes were added to the upper level in 1946. The lower level was opened to traffic on August 29, 1962, making the George Washington the world's only 14-lane suspension bridge. In 1981, the bridge was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Statistics

Length of Bridge between Anchorages 4,760 feet

Length of Main Spain 3,500 feet

Width of Roadway 90 feet

Height of Tower above Water 604 feet

Maximum Height of Bridge above Water 212 feet

Number of Cables 4

Total Length of Wires in Cables 107,000 miles

Cost of Original Bridge $59,000,000

Questions or comments about this page?

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/bridges/html/gwb.html

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Technology.--Bridge Engineering.--Individual Bridges.

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