The George Washington Bridge – known informally as the GW Bridge, the GWB, the GW, or the
George – is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the
Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee,
Bergen County, New Jersey, in the United States. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the
river via the bridge. The New Jersey Turnpike and US 46, which lie entirely within New
Jersey, end halfway across the bridge at the state border with New York. At its eastern
terminus in New York City, the bridge connects with the Trans-Manhattan Expressway.
The bridge, an integral conduit within the New York metropolitan area, has an upper level
that carries four lanes in each direction and a lower level with three lanes in each
direction, for a total of 14 lanes of travel. The speed limit on the bridge is 45 mph,
though congestion often slows traffic, especially during the morning and evening rush hours.
The bridge's upper level carries pedestrian and bicycle traffic. As of 2013, the George
Washington Bridge carries about 102 million vehicles per year, making it the world's busiest
motor vehicle bridge, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the
bi-state government agency that owns and operates several area bridges, tunnels, and airports.
History The bridge sits near the sites of Fort Washington
and Fort Lee, which were fortified positions used by General Washington and his American
forces as they attempted to deter the occupation of New York City in 1776 during the American
Revolutionary War. Unsuccessful, Washington evacuated Manhattan by crossing between the
two forts. Construction on the bridge began in October
1927 as a project of the Port of New York Authority. Its chief engineer was Othmar Ammann,
with Cass Gilbert as architect. When construction started, the estimated cost of the bridge
was $75,000,000. The bridge was dedicated on October 24, 1931,
and opened to traffic the following day. The bridge was initially named the "Hudson River
Bridge." The total length of the bridge is 4,760 feet,
including a main span of 3,500 feet. At the time, this was the longest main bridge span
in the world, nearly double the 1,850 feet of the previous record holder, the Ambassador
Bridge in Detroit. It held this title until the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge.
When built, the bridge offered six lanes of traffic. In 1946, two more lanes were created
on what is now the upper level. A second, lower deck, which had been anticipated in
Ammann's original plans, was approved by Lt. Col. Joseph R. McCammon, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers. It opened to the public on August 29, 1962. This lower level has been waggishly
nicknamed "Martha". The additional deck increased the capacity of the bridge by 75 percent,
making the George Washington Bridge the world's only 14-lane suspension bridge, with eight
lanes on the upper level and six on the lower deck.
The original design for the towers of the bridge called for them to be encased in concrete
and granite. However, because of cost considerations during the Great Depression and favorable
aesthetic critiques of the bare steel towers, this was never done. The exposed steel towers,
with their distinctive criss-crossed bracing, have become one of the bridge's most identifiable
characteristics. Le Corbusier said of the unadorned steel structure:
"The George Washington Bridge over the Hudson is the most beautiful bridge in the world.
Made of cables and steel beams, it gleams in the sky like a reversed arch. It is blessed.
It is the only seat of grace in the disordered city. It is painted an aluminum color and,
between water and sky, you see nothing but the bent cord supported by two steel towers.
When your car moves up the ramp the two towers rise so high that it brings you happiness;
their structure is so pure, so resolute, so regular that here, finally, steel architecture
seems to laugh. The car reaches an unexpectedly wide apron; the second tower is very far away;
innumerable vertical cables, gleaming against the sky, are suspended from the magisterial
curve which swings down and then up. The rose-colored towers of New York appear, a vision whose
harshness is mitigated by distance.
The George Washington Bridge was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
by the American Society of Civil Engineers on October 24, 1981, the 50th anniversary
of the bridge's dedication ceremony. As the enclosed lower level is more vulnerable
to hazardous material incidents than the upper level, most HAZMATs have long been prohibited
there. Following the September 11 attacks on New
York and Washington, the Port Authority prohibited people from taking photographs on the premises
of the bridge out of fear that terrorist groups might study photographs to plot an attack
on the bridge. Such prohibitions have since been lifted.
Several times during the year, the bridge flies the largest free-flying American flag
in the world; 90 feet long and 60 feet wide, the flag weighs 450 pounds. The flag is flown,
when weather allows, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Flag
Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day, as well as on dates
honoring those lost in the September 11 attacks. In December 2011, the Port Authority announced
plans to repair the bridge. For the first time, the vertical suspender cables will be
replaced, at an expected cost of more than $1 billion paid for by toll revenue.
On August 5, 2013, repair crews began an $82-million effort to fix cracks in upper-deck structural
steel caused by traffic, particularly heavy trucks. The plan called for replacing 632
road deck panels, which would add at least 20 years of service life to the roadway. The
work proceeded at night, and was slated to be complete by year's end. But delays prevented
this, and ultimately the work was halted for the winter. It was restarted on June 16, 2014,
and was expected to last another 12 weeks. From September 9-13, 2013, dedicated toll
lanes for one of the Fort Lee entrances to the bridge's upper level were reduced from
three to one without notification to local government officials and emergency responders
on orders from aides and appointees of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican,
causing a political controversy. The closures caused massive traffic congestion, with major
delays for school transportation and police and emergency service responses within Fort
Lee. As of March 2014, the repercussions and controversy surrounding these actions continue
to be under investigation by the Port Authority, federal prosecutors, and a New Jersey legislature
committee. Connections and routes
Road access
The George Washington Bridge carries I-95 and US 1/9 between New Jersey and New York.
Coming from New Jersey, US 46 terminates at the state border in the middle of the bridge.
I-80, US 9W, and New Jersey Route 4 also feed into the bridge but end before reaching
it. The Palisades Interstate Parkway connects directly to the bridge's upper level, and
the New Jersey Turnpike connects to both levels of the bridge. The marginal roads and local
streets above the highways are known as GWB Plaza.
On the New York side, the 12-lane Trans-Manhattan Expressway heads east across the narrow neck
of upper Manhattan, from the bridge to the Harlem River, providing access from both decks
to 178th Street, the Henry Hudson Parkway and Riverside Drive on the West Side of Manhattan,
and to Amsterdam Avenue and the Harlem River Drive on the East Side. The Expressway connects
directly with the Alexander Hamilton Bridge, which spans the Harlem River as part of the
Cross-Bronx Expressway, providing access to the Major Deegan Expressway. Heading towards
New Jersey, local access to the bridge is available from 179th Street. There are also
ramps connecting the bridge to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal, a commuter
bus terminal with direct access to the New York City Subway at the 175th Street station
on the IND Eighth Avenue Line. Emergency services are provided by the Port
Authority's Tunnel & Bridge Agents, who are stationed at the bridge 24/7 and maintain
various apparatus such as fire trucks, rescue trucks, and wreckers specially designed for
the GW Bridge for serious incidents, such as fires, vehicle extrications, Haz-Mat incidents,
overturned vehicles, and many other emergencies. Emergency Medical Services are also provided
by the Agents. Tolls
Eastbound vehicles must pay a toll to cross the bridge; as with all Hudson River crossings
to Manhattan, westbound vehicles cross for free.
As of December 1, 2013, the cash tolls going from New Jersey to New York are $13 for both
cars and motorcycles. E-ZPass users are charged $9 for cars and $8 for motorcycles during
off-peak hours and $11 for cars and $10 for motorcycles during peak hours. Trucks are
charged cash tolls of $17 per axle, with discounted peak, off-peak, and overnight E-ZPass tolls.
A discounted carpool toll is available at all times for cars with three or more passengers
using NY or NJ E-ZPass, who proceed through a staffed toll lane. There is an off-peak
toll of $5.50 for qualified low-emission passenger vehicles, which have received a Green E-ZPass
based on registering for the Port Authority Green Pass Discount Plan.
Starting on December 7, 2014, the cash tolls going from New Jersey to New York are $14
for both cars and motorcycles. E-ZPass users are charged $9.75 for cars and $8.75 for motorcycles
during off-peak hours and $11.75 for cars and $10.75 for motorcycles during peak hours.
Trucks are charged cash tolls of $18.50 per axle, with discounted peak, off-peak, and
overnight E-ZPass tolls. A discounted carpool toll is available at all times for cars with
three or more passengers using NY or NJ E-ZPass, who proceed through a staffed toll lane. There
is an off-peak toll of $6.25 for qualified low-emission passenger vehicles, which have
received a Green E-ZPass based on registering for the Port Authority Green Pass Discount
Plan. In 2006, bridge tolls totaled about $1 million
per day; at the time, tolls for cars were $6 cash, $5 E-ZPass peak hours, and $4 E-ZPass
off-peak hours. The bridge has 29 toll lanes: 12 in the upper
level toll plaza, 10 in the lower level toll plaza, and seven in the Palisades Interstate
Parkway toll plaza. The toll plazas on the lower level and Palisades Parkway are not
staffed during the overnight hours and accept only E-ZPass transactions during this period.
Pedestrians and cyclists cross for free on the sidewalk. Though there are sidewalks on
each side of the bridge, cyclists and pedestrians can use only the south side. The bridge offers
spectacular views of the Hudson River, the Manhattan skyline, and the New Jersey Palisades.
Pedestrians had to pay tolls of 10 cents shortly after the bridge opened, but non-motorized
traffic is no longer tolled. In January 2007, the Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey announced a two-year, $3.2-million deal with GEICO, the auto insurance
giant, that would have posted a large billboard atop the toll plaza that said "GEICO Drive
Safely," along with GEICO signs on the tollbooths and approach roads. A week later, however,
the Port Authority canceled the contract after critics said the signs would mar the landmarked
bridge, that the Port Authority had failed to negotiate a good price for the deal, and
that the signs might violate Fort Lee's regulations. Non-motorized access
The George Washington Bridge is popular among sightseers and commuters traveling by foot,
bicycle, or roller skates. The South sidewalk is shared by cyclists and pedestrians, with
a level surface from end to end. The entrance in Manhattan is at 178th Street, just west
of Cabrini Boulevard which also has access to the Hudson River Greenway north of the
bridge. The sidewalk is accessible on the New Jersey side from Hudson Terrace, where
a gate open in daytime and evening allows pedestrians and bikes to pass. Also on Hudson
Terrace, less than one hundred yards north of the bike/ped entrance, walkers will find
the start of the Long Path hiking trail, which leads after a short walk to some spectacular
views of the bridge, and continues north toward Albany. The George Washington Bridge carries
New York State Bicycle Route 9, a bike route that runs from New York City north to Rouses
Point. The Port Authority closed the North Sidewalk
at all times in 2008. Though offering direct access into Palisades Interstate Park, the
North sidewalk requires stairway climbs and descents on both sides, always an inconvenience
and obstacle to handicapped people, and a risk in poor weather conditions.
Transportation Alternatives, a New York City advocacy group, has proposed an enhanced River
Road connector in Fort Lee, which would create safer pedestrian and bicycle access to the
George Washington Bridge on the New Jersey side of the bridge.
Alternate routes
The George Washington Bridge is notorious for traffic jams during rush hour, as are
the highways connected to it, including the Cross Bronx Expressway to the east, the Harlem
River Drive and West Side Highway to the south, and the western approaches to the toll plaza
in New Jersey. Within the New York metropolitan area, the
Tappan Zee Bridge is an alternate route that avoids the city proper.
For longer-range traffic, such as traffic between New England and Pennsylvania, Interstate
84 which crosses the Hudson on the Newburgh–Beacon Bridge is often used as an alternative rather
than either the GWB or the Tappan Zee Bridge, as it avoids the New York metropolitan area
entirely. Suicides
The George Washington Bridge is among the most frequently chosen sites in the New York
City metropolitan area for committing suicide. In the record-breaking year of 2012, 18 people
threw themselves off the bridge to their deaths, with 43 suicide attempts overall.
In 1994, a caller into The Howard Stern Show was on the bridge threatening to commit suicide,
but Stern managed to talk him out of it. In popular culture
The landmark bridge is seen in many movies set in New York, mostly in establishing shots.
The bridge is featured, along with the nearby Little Red Lighthouse, in Hildegarde Swift's
1942 children's book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge. The bridge is also
featured in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather, Woody Allen's Broadway Danny Rose, Mike Newell's
Donnie Brasco, and in an episode of Jerry Seinfeld's web series Comedians in Cars Getting
Coffee featuring Louis CK. The bridge is featured in the video game Metal
Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. On Sesame Street, Ernie often sang the words
"George Washington Bridge" to the tune of Sobre las Olas. In one episode of TV series
Friends, Joey Tribbiani kicks Chandler Bing out of the car in the middle of the bridge,
after an argument about a movie Joey is starring in.
In the 1976 film Network, the character Max Schumacher tells a funny story to his friend
Howard Beale, in which the young Schumacher, who overslept for a news shoot at the George
Washington Bridge, gets into a cab wearing a raincoat over his pajamas and tells the
cabbie to take him to the middle of the bridge. The concerned cabbie tells him: "Don't do
it buddy! You're a young man! You got your whole life ahead of you!", assuming that he
was going to jump from bridge. See also
List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in New Jersey
List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in New York
List of fixed crossings of the Hudson River References
Notes
External links
George Washington Bridge Official Site Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
NJ DOT map showing jurisdictions of highways leading to the bridge
Giant of World's Bridges Rising in New York Popular Mechanics, January 1930
George Washington Bridge - Historic Overview NYCRoads.com
George Washington Bridge Traffic Webcam TrafficLand George Washington Bridge Trivia
John A. Roebling Company: Suspension Bridges Are Created Library of Congress - New Jersey
Local Legacies Historic American Engineering Record No. NY-129,
"George Washington Bridge" George Washington Bridge at Structurae
The George Washington Bridge in Heavy Smog, View Toward the New Jersey Side of the Hudson
River from World Digital Library "George Washington Bridge: Spanning history"
from BergenCounty.com