Crossing the Hudson into NYC: The 4 Major Bridges (And 1 Tunnel)

Four bridges (and one critical tunnel) carry millions across the Hudson River between New Jersey and Manhattan. Each has a distinct character, history, and traffic profile.

🌉 1. George Washington Bridge (GWB) — The Heavy Lifter

• Type: Double-decked suspension (14 lanes total — world's busiest motor vehicle bridge).
• Connects: Fort Lee, NJ ↔ Washington Heights, Manhattan (I-95 / US 1/9).
• Opened: 1931 (upper), 1962 (lower "Martha").
• Span: 3,500 ft (1,067 m) — longest main span 1931–1937.
• Daily traffic: ~280,000 vehicles.
• Pedestrian/Bike: South sidewalk (north closed for construction).

🌉 2. Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge — The Gateway

• Type: Double-decked suspension (13 lanes).
• Connects: Staten Island ↔ Brooklyn (I-278).
• Opened: 1964 (upper), 1969 (lower).
• Span: 4,260 ft (1,298 m) — **longest in Americas**, 18th world.
• Named for: Giovanni da Verrazzano (1524 explorer).
• Toll: $19.38 (E-ZPass NY), collected SI-bound only.

🌉 3. Brooklyn Bridge — The Icon

• Type: Hybrid suspension/cable-stayed (6 lanes + elevated pedestrian/bike promenade).
• Connects: Manhattan (Civic Center) ↔ Brooklyn (DUMBO).
• Opened: 1883 — **first steel-wire suspension bridge**.
• Span: 1,595 ft (486 m).
• Designer: John A. Roebling → completed by son Washington & wife Emily.
• Daily: ~120,000 vehicles, 30,000+ peds/bikes.
• No toll.

🌉 4. Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (Triborough) — The Y-Junction

• Type: 3-branch complex: suspension (East River), lift (Harlem River), truss (Bronx Kill).
• Connects: **Manhattan (Harlem) ↔ Queens (Astoria) ↔ Bronx (Randalls/Wards Islands)**.
• Opened: 1936 (Moses masterpiece).
• Renamed: 2008 for RFK.
• Daily: ~180,000 vehicles.
• Toll: $11.19 (E-ZPass NY).

🚇 The 5th Crossing: Lincoln Tunnel

• 3 tubes, 6 lanes total** (Weehawken, NJ ↔ Midtown Manhattan, 39th St).
• Opened: 1937 (center), 1945 (north), 1957 (south).
• Daily: ~120,000 vehicles — **busiest vehicular tunnel in world**.
• Exclusive Bus Lane (XBL): 700 buses/hr AM peak — moves 62,000 commuters.
• Toll: $17 (E-ZPass NY), NY-bound only.