George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River connects New York City at 178th Street with Fort Lee, New Jersey. The bridge’s span is 3,500 feet (1,100 meters) long. Four huge cables hold up this suspension bridge. Each cable is 36 inches (91 centimeters) in diameter and consists of 26,474 steel wires, which are woven tightly together. The cables holding up the central portion of the bridge contain 107,000 miles (172,000 kilometers) of wire. Two towers that rise 604 feet (184 meters) above the water support the cables. The bridge measures 119 feet (36 meters) in width. It has two levels, each with 12 traffic lanes.
The first eight lanes opened to traffic in 1931. The lower deck, which lies 15 feet (4.6 meters) below the top level, opened in 1962.
