Five Things You May Not Know About the George Washington Bridge

1. With over 200,000 cars crossing daily, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey reports that the George Washington Bridge is the most travelled bridge in the world.

2. Construction of the bridge began in 1927 and was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on October 24, 1931. The original design called for the steel towers to be encased in granite, and a restaurant at the top of the New Jersey tower, but the Great Depression put an end to such expensive design plans.

3. The George Washington Bridge is the protagonist in the classic children’s storybook, The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, by Hildegarde Swift and Lynd Ward.

4. To increase capacity, the lower level was completed in 1962 and is also known as the “Martha Washington” level.

5. The American flag that flies from the upper arch of the New Jersey tower on holidays is the largest free-flying American flag. It weighs 450 pounds and is 90 feet by 60 feet.