Feature

The George W. Bridge

Eighth Avenue’s new span joins an illustrious list.

By Christopher Bonanos
Published May 21, 2005

(Photo: Richard B. Levine)

Politicians talk of bridging divides—but Eighth Avenue? To allow conventiongoers a quick (and New Yorkless) route between the old Farley Post Office and Madison Square Garden, the city has built a temporary enclosed bridge, paid for by the RNC. How does this new span stack up against its famous forebears?

Bridge	Yr Opened	Main Span	Cost	What It Carries	Construction Time
Brooklyn	1883	1,596 feet	$13.5 million	Automobiles, pedestrians	13 years
Williamsburg	1903	1,600 feet	$24 million	Automobiles, pedestrians	7 years
Manhattan	1910	1,470 feet	$31 million	Automobiles, pedestrians, subway trains	6 years
Hell Gate	1917	1,017 feet	$150 million	Amtrak trains	5 years
George Washington	1931	3,500 feet	$55 million	Automobiles, pedestrians	4 years
Verrazano-Narrows	1964	4,260 feet	$325 million	Automobiles	5 years
Eighth Avenue	2004	180 feet	$750,000	Journalists and GOP pedestrians	15 hours

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