As the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Turns 53, See It Under Construction in Vintage Photos
While mention of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge today might stir up grumbles about tolls and traffic, when it first opened 53 years ago this month it was an engineering marvel predicted to transform transportation between boroughs.
Photo via Brooklyn Media Group
While mention of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge today might stir up grumbles about tolls and traffic, when it first opened 53 years ago this month it was an engineering marvel predicted to transform transportation between boroughs.
Construction on the bridge began in 1959 and it opened to the public in November of 1964. Thanks to the photo morgue of the Brooklyn Reporter, we can get a glimpse of its graceful span gradually rising in the water during construction.
The suspension bridge — which is still the longest in the United States — was another borough-transforming project by Robert Moses. Structural engineer Othmar H. Ammann was the designer behind the striking silhouette and the man behind other iconic New York bridges, including the George Washington and Triborough bridges.
If the construction sign in this photo is any indication, the project actually managed to finish ahead of schedule.
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