George Washington Bridge Size report
The George Washington Bridge is a tolled suspension bridge connecting Manhattan, New York City, and Fort Lee, New Jersey. It crosses the Hudson River and is an important traffic artery in New York City because the bridge carries important highways such as Interstate 95, US National Highway 1, US National Highway 9, and US National Highway 46.
The bridge is named after the first president of the United States, George Washington. It is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a two-state government agency that operates infrastructure in the Port of New York.
George Washington is one of the busiest bridges in the world, with estimated daily traffic of 300,000 vehicles today, similar to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The George Washington Bridge was once the longest in the world, spanning 1 kilometer. Let's learn more about the size of the George Washington Bridge in this post.
Description of the George Washington Bridge Size
Swiss engineer Othmar H. Ammann conceived the George Washington Bridge. The bridge was opened in 1931 and is the only New York City bridge to cross the Hudson River. In 1947, the famous French architect Le Corbusier called it the most beautiful bridge in the world. Unlike the Brooklyn Bridge, the tower is made of exposed steel, giving it an almost futuristic look that will look spectacular once the sun goes down.
The George Washington Bridge is an incredible double-deck suspension bridge with the Palisades cliffs and some of New York City's best views. The upper layer has four lanes in each direction, and the lower layer has a two-way with six lanes. Pedestrian and cyclist lanes are accommodated on the upper deck. In addition to the roadway, two sidewalks are on either side of the bridge. Although the speed limit on the bridge is 70 kilometers per hour (45 miles per hour), it isn't easy to even reach the speed limit due to traffic jams most of the time.
Dimensions of the George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is 1,450 meters (4,760 feet) long, 36 meters (119 feet) wide, and with a main span of 1,100 meters (3,500 feet). Until the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, it was the longest main bridge in the world. The decks are 35 meters (115 feet) and 65 meters (212 feet) above the water, and the lattice-steel towers rise 184 meters (604 feet) high above the water.
Features | Size |
---|---|
Total Length | 1,450 m (4,760 ft) |
Width | 36 m (119 ft) |
Longest Span | 1,100 m (3,500 ft) |
Tower Height | 184 m (604 ft) |
Clearance Below | 65 m (212 ft) |
Final Words
With millions of passengers passing through it every day, the George Washington Bridge is one of the busiest bridges in the world. The bridge was also voted one of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the New York Metropolitan Area in 1953 and has become a landmark of the country. The bridge is also an important tourist corridor in the New York metropolitan area. More than 150 LED fixtures have a life expectancy of 12 years, making the bridge even more dazzling at night.