| George Washington Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Oblique view from Manhattan | |
| Carries | Interstate 95 |
| Crosses | Hudson River |
| Locale | New York City & Fort Lee, New Jersey |
| Official name | George Washington Bridge |
| Other name(s) | GW Bridge, GWB |
| Owner | PANYNJ |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Double-decked suspension bridge |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 4,760 feet |
| Width | 119 feet |
| Height | 212 feet |
| Longest span | 3,500 feet |
| History | |
| Construction start | 1927 |
| Opened | 1931 |
| Rebuilt | 1962 (addition of lower level) |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | $15.00 cash, $13.00 EZ-PASS NYC-bound only. Discount rates available for frequent commuters at peak hours, carpools with 3 or more passengers, and other exemptions |
The George Washington Bridge, commonly referred to as the GW Bridge or simply the GWB is a double-decked suspension bridge over the Hudson River between New York City and Fort Lee, New Jersey. The bridge carries 14 lanes of Interstate 95 over the river and is the second-widest bridge in the United States, and is the busiest bridge in the world. The bridge is owned and maintained by the Port Authority.
The bridge was designed by landmark engineer Othmar Ammann and opened in 1931 with only a single deck. The bridge was the world’s longest suspension bridge until being surpassed by San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in 1937. In 1962, increasing traffic demands prompted the addition of the second deck. Ammann designed the lower level addition of the bridge at 82 years old, which would ultimately end up being his last project.
The George Washington Bridge is one of five bridges within the Interstate 95 corridor in New York City - the others are the Alexander Hamilton Bridge, the Washington Heights Bridge, the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge and the Throgs Neck Bridge.
Description[]
The George Washington Bridge carries I-95 between New Jersey and New York. Coming from New Jersey, US 46 terminates at the state border in the middle of the bridge. Further west, I-80, US 9W, New Jersey Route 4, and the New Jersey Turnpike also feed into the bridge via either I-95, U.S. 1/9, or U.S. 46 but end before reaching it. The Palisades Interstate Parkway connects directly to the bridge's upper level, though not to the lower level (plans to give direct access to the lower level from the parkway have been postponed). 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 (I-95), providing access to the Major Deegan Expressway (I-87). 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 (A train) 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.
See also[]
- Alexander Hamilton Bridge
- Washington Heights Bridge
- Bronx-Whitestone Bridge
- Throgs Neck Bridge
- List of bridges within the Interstate 95 corridor