Construction begins
Building work on the George Washington Bridge began in October 1927 (Pictures: The Port Authority of NY & NJ)
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Changing landscape
The view of the Palisades from Riverside Drive in 1928 would be dramatically altered in just three years.
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Suspending the bridge
Wire ropes, nearly two kilometres long, were towed across the Hudson River. They were raised to the top of each tower to support the catwalk scaffolds for cable construction.
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Preparing for travellers
The bridge's two great 183-metre towers - 43,000 tons of steel - were designed to bear a heavy traffic flow.
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Opening to the public
On the gala opening day, New York Governor Al Smith, fearful of the stress on the bridge caused by the parade, asked Ammann if the men should break step. Ammann's reply: "They could be elephants and they wouldn't hurt the bridge".
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Wonder bridge
The George Washington Bridge's original construction finished eight months ahead of schedule and costs were considerably below the original estimates.
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Traffic jams
During its first full year of operation in 1932 more than 5.5 million vehicles used the bridge's six-lane roadway. As traffic demand increased, more lanes and a lower roadway were added.
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The early days of Othmar Ammann's George Washington Bridge in New York.
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