Today In History: George Washington Bridge Opens In 1931
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- On this day 85 years ago, the George Washington Bridge opened to traffic for the first time.
"It hangs between earth and heaven," wrote the New York Times, calling it a conquest, not only over physical forces but over human nature as well, WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported.
The then 10-year-old Port Authority finished the bridge six months ahead of schedule.
The chairman declared that traffic would flow ceaselessly for generations to come, but it was not to be, even on day one, Silverman reported.
The GWB opened to traffic 85 years ago today. Here's the NYT answering a question no one asked: "what's the big deal?" pic.twitter.com/8kgAiPrsft
— Alex Silverman (@AlexSilverman) October 25, 2016
All the approaches were from local streets then and they backed up for blocks. Some drivers in Fort Lee couldn't even find them and turned toward the Holland Tunnel instead.
Fifty-six thousand cars did make it across, plus 100,000 on foot, and one on a horse, which the Times declared a mystery. Its rider paid the toll on the Jersey side -- the motorcycle rate of 25 cents -- and was never seen coming back across.
The bridge now stands at the center of a lane-closing scandal. Gov. Chris Christie's former deputy chief of staff and a former Port Authority executive are on trial for allegedly orchestrating lane closures at the bridge to create traffic jams in Fort Lee to punish its mayor for not endorsing Christie's re-election bid.