Verrazano-Narrows Bridge - New York, NY
Posted by: neoc1
N 40° 36.406 W 074° 02.605
18T E 580926 N 4495545
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge spans New York Harbor between Brooklyn and Staten Island.
Waymark Code: WMDTT8
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 02/24/2012
Views: 23
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was named after Giovanni di Verrazano, the Italian explorer who discovered New York Harbor and the east coast of North America in 1524. The bridge allows automobile traffic to travel to and from Staten Island from the rest of New York. Before its construction automobiles had to use ferry service from Brooklyn or Manhattan. Often it took hours to obtain passage on a cross harbor ferry.
Early plans to build a bridge were stymied by military concerns that enemy destruction of the bridge would block New York Harbor and access to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Issues were resolved and construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge began, on August 13, 1959, under the direction of Robert Moses and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority. The Army Corps of Engineers required that the bridge have a clearance of 180 feet at the towers and of 216 feet at the center of the main span.
The final bridge has mid-span clearance of 228 feet and a mid-span length of 4,260 feet, each side span is 1,215 feet making the overall length 6,690 feet. Including approaches, the length of the bridge is 13,700 feet. Each tower rises 693 feet above mean high water.
Data for the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Construction started: August 13, 1959
Opened to traffic (upper deck): November 21, 1964
Opened to traffic (lower deck): June 28, 1969
Length of main span: 4,260 feet
Length of each side span: 1,215 feet
Length, anchorage to anchorage: 6,690
Total length of bridge and approaches: 13,700
Width of bridge: 103
Number of decks: 2
Number of traffic lanes: 12
Height of towers above mean high water: 693
Reinforcing steel used in entire structure: 34,000 tons
Number of cables: 4
Diameter of each of four cables: 3 feet
Length of each cable: 7,205
Total number of wires per cable: 26,108
Cost of original structure: $320,126,000
Date Completed: 11/21/1964
Usage: Automobile
Length: Anchorage to anchorage - 6,690 feet
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