Bridges - Must See Tourist Attractions in New York City

The George Washington Bridge (known informally as the GW Bridge, the GWB, the GW, or the George) is a toll suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee in New Jersey by means of Interstate 95, U.S. Route 1/9. U.S. Route 46, which is entirely in New Jersey, ends halfway across the bridge at the state border. The GW is considered one of the world's busiest bridges in terms of vehicle traffic;[1] In 2004, the bridge carried 108,404,000 vehicles, with current AADT estimates of nearly 300,000 vehicles daily. This number is similar to that of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The GW span is the fourth largest suspension bridge in the U.S as of 2006.

The bridge contains two levels, an upper level with four lanes in each direction and a lower level with three lanes in each direction, for a total of 14 lanes of travel. Additionally, the bridge houses two paths on either side of the bridge for pedestrian traffic. The speed limit on the bridge is 45 mph (70 km/h), though heavy traffic is common and frequently makes it difficult to reach such speeds.

Details

Longest span : 1,066.80 meters (3,500 feet)
Total length : 1,450.85 meters (4,760 feet)
Width : 36.27 meters (119 feet)
Vertical clearance : 14 feet (upper level), 13 feet 6 inches (lower level)
Clearance below : 64.62 meters (212 ft) at mid-span
Opening date : October 25, 1931 (upper level)
Opening date : August 29, 1962 (lower level)