George Washington Bridge - NYC, New York

New York City is an incredible place. There are so many things to see there that you can become overwhelmed but make sure that after you have seen Times Square, Ground Zero, the Statue of Liberty and other notable attractions that you take a moment to appreciate the stunning engineering marvels that were erected long ago in the golden age of the Skyscraper.
George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, New Jersey

The George Washington Bridge is often referred to as the "GW" and it has been an iconic symbol of the strength of the city since it was first opened to traffic in 1931.
East Pier of the "GW" as seen from Fort Lee, New Jersey

Beautiful view of the George Washington Bridge east tower and upper Manhattan. 

Over the next 10 years according to the New York & New Jersey Port Authority, over 1.9 Billion dollars will be spent to overhaul and modernize the George Washington Bridge. 

It seems fitting that a bridge of this magnitude would bear the name of such a noble and accomplished individual. George Washington was a legendary leader and the GW is a legendary bridge. 

Massive cables anchored to the towers hold up the 3,500 foot main span of the bridge.

There are two - 6 lane bridge decks and a pedestrian / bike path carried over the Hudson by this bridge. There is a great parking area and trailhead on the New Jersey side of the River at Fort Lee. Fort Lee is perched upon the top of the cliffs that make up the "Palisades" and there are many viewpoints from this park where you can observe the mighty "GW". 

Massive cables that support the weight of the bridge are anchored right into the bedrock of the New Jersey "Palisades" which is a series of high, solid rock cliffs that line the west bank of the Hudson River north of Jersey City. 

The "GW" is the busiest bridge in the World and according to the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, over 100 million vehicles cross this bridge each year. 

The tolls as of this writing for a passenger car are $15.00 heading east into the city. Heading west across the bridge into New Jersey is always free. 

There are two massive bridge towers that hold up the main deck or span of the bridge that rise 570 feet above the Hudson River. For more information on this incredible feat of engineering look up the book "George Washington Bridge - Timeless Marvel" - Free PDF downloads of this book are available at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey website at
http://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/pdf/gwb-timeless-marvel.pdf


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