the Verrazano Bridge
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, an iconic structure spanning the Narrows between Brooklyn and Staten Island in New York City, stands as a testament to engineering prowess and urban ambition.
Opened to the public on November 21, 1964, the bridge was a monumental achievement, connecting two boroughs and reshaping the region’s transportation landscape.
Its history is a story of vision, engineering innovation, and the challenges of constructing one of the world’s longest suspension bridges at the time.
The idea of a bridge linking Brooklyn and Staten Island dates back to the late 19th century, when New York’s rapid growth demanded better connectivity. Staten Island, relatively isolated compared to other boroughs, relied heavily on ferries for access to Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Early proposals for a crossing emerged in the 1880s, including ideas for a tunnel or bridge, but these plans languished due to financial and logistical hurdles.
It wasn’t until the 1920s that serious momentum built. Engineers and city planners, recognizing the potential for economic growth, began advocating for a fixed crossing. In 1926, the New York State Legislature authorized studies for a bridge, but the Great Depression and World War II delayed progress.
By the 1940s, the need for a Narrows crossing became undeniable as Staten Island’s population grew and ferry services struggled to meet demand.
The project gained traction under the influence of Robert Moses, the powerful urban planner who shaped much of New York’s 20th-century infrastructure.
Moses championed the bridge as part of his broader vision for a regional highway network. In 1946, the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (later part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority) was tasked with overseeing the project.
The bridge was named after Giovanni da Verrazzano, the Italian explorer who, in 1524, was among the first Europeans to sail into New York Harbor. (The bridge’s name was misspelled with one “z” until 2018, when it was officially corrected.)
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was designed by Othmar Ammann, a Swiss-American engineer renowned for his work on bridges like the George Washington Bridge.
Ammann’s design called for a suspension bridge with a central span of 4,260 feet, making it the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time, surpassing San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge’s towers, rising 693 feet, were constructed to withstand the immense forces of wind, tides, and the weight of the structure itself.
Construction began in August 1959 and was a feat of engineering. The bridge’s massive anchorages, each weighing 360,000 tons, were built to hold the suspension cables, which were spun on-site using 142,000 miles of wire.
The project required innovative techniques to address challenges like the Narrows’ deep waters and strong currents. Workers, known as “boomers,” risked their lives in dangerous conditions, and tragically, three lost their lives during construction.
The bridge’s design also accounted for the Earth’s curvature. The tops of its towers are 1.6 inches farther apart than their bases to align with the planet’s spherical shape. This attention to detail ensured the bridge’s stability and longevity.
When the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened in 1964, it was a marvel. The upper deck was completed first, with the lower deck added in 1969 to accommodate growing traffic. The bridge carried 12 lanes of traffic and was designed to handle 48,000 vehicles daily, though today it sees over 200,000.
Its completion spurred rapid development on Staten Island, transforming it from a semi-rural borough into a more urbanized area. However, it also displaced communities, particularly in Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge, where hundreds of homes were demolished for the bridge’s approaches.
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge remains a vital artery in New York City’s transportation network and a symbol of human ingenuity. It held the title of the world’s longest suspension bridge until 1981, when the Humber Bridge in England surpassed it.
Today, it ranks among the longest globally and continues to serve as a critical link, despite challenges like traffic congestion and maintenance costs.
Its elegant design and historical significance make it a beloved landmark, featured in films, photographs, and the annual New York City Marathon, which starts at its base on Staten Island.
Nautical Mile Magazine
