George Washington Bridge

One of the happiest moments of my life was when I crossed the George Washington Bridge for the last time. When you’re stuck in grid-​lock on that bridge, the iron work looks like the inside of a prison cell. To all of you who still have to drive this daily, I am truly sorry. Few things create more misery than this bridge. When traffic is bad, which it often is, it can take a solid hour to cross. No, I’m not exaggerating.

New GWB toll fee increase, rate as of 6 December 2015. For two axle vehicles the cash toll is $ 15, but EZPass Peak time is $ 12.50 & non-​Peak is $ 10.50. If you live in the NYC metro area, I suggest you get an EZPass. The convenience of slowing down to 25−50mph is a lot better than coming to a complete stop and having to interact with the toll operators (has to be the most miserable employees & occupation on the face of the earth) and exchange the grimmest dollar bills in the first world.

Sitting in traffic trying to get onto the bridge from the Bronx side or at a toll plaza in NJ is not prone to make one admire the George Washington Bridge (GWB); however, as architecture the GWB is an achievement. Some folks still remember that until the first lanes of the upper level opened in 1931 (more were added over time and the lower level only began accepting traffic in 1962) the way to get your car between NYC and NJ was on a ferry boat! As originally designed by Othmar Ammann and Cass Gilbert the twin towers of the suspension bridge were supposed to be encased in concrete and granite, but budget cutbacks during the Great Depression led to their being left as bare steel and the look caught on. If you haven’t done so already, some day when you’re not tied-​up in bridge traffic try to admire them!

It gets you where you want to go, just usually slower than you’d like to get there. I would love to walk it some day. Didn’t realize that was thing.

The George Washington Bridge aka the GWB is a doubled-​decked suspension bridge. It’s made of steel. The GWB, is the world’s busiest motor vehicle bridge, looking east from Fort Lee, NJ toward Washington Heights in upper Manhattan. It crosses the Hudson River.
There’s 14 lanes, 8 upper deck and 6 lower deck. Four lanes in both directions on the upper level. Three lanes in both directions on the lower level. The GWB upper level opened on October 24, 1931; 84 years ago. The lower level opened on August 29, 1962; 53 years ago. The bridge’s upper level also carries pedestrians and bicycles.
During the morning and evening rush hours the bridge can be a pain with congested traffic. I appreciate the scenic views The GWB offers. It’s like you’re in a different state. It’s very peaceful and gorgeous.

Theres no toll to be paid when NYC, but once you come back into NYC you must pay.
This bridge has beautiful views.
Depending on the time your traveling, you’ll hit major traffic which would get very annoying.
It’s a smooth drive on both the upper and lower levels. Not too potholes .
I would recommend.

This has to be one of the busiest/​most traveled bridges. It basically connects New York and New Jersey. Two levels, upper or lower. Trucks are supposed to stick to the upper level.
The bridge is under Port Authority and there is a toll if you are coming into the city. Traffic here can be brutally bad.

$ 12 a day if you have EZ Pass, which for the state of the road surface is a down right shame. Pave the dang thing so my shocks won’t shoot through the car’s body. Why anyone would rate this stupid bridge positively is beyond me, so what if there is a river below and trees across; the unnecessary idiotic drivers, unlimited traffic, and countless accidents on every highway approaching this iron icon leave travelling to be desired.
I-​87/​Deegan– one lane to get on to the GWB; really… one lane??? It’s unfortunate I have to cross this nightmare. Oh and for the life of you do not get off the Henry Hudson on Dyckman in Hudson Heights unless you want to walk home. People running reds, turning right from the left lane, and triple parking on Broadway make getting anywhere near this bridge down right painful.

If Harry Potter used this bridge a lot, it’d be the Hog Wartsington Bridge. But then it would be much more popular than it is, and traffic jams would be even worse.
I use this bridge more often than not when I go to New York City. The Lincoln and Holland Tunnel might be a little faster to my specific destinations, but they don’t have the amazing view that the GWB does. When I leave NYC I usually leave this way too, so I can look back over my shoulder at the incredible view of the island, and marvel in the ama… (SMASH).
Crap. I must remember to look forwards when driving. Hey what’s the insurance company number again? Oh yeah. I have them on speed dial nm. So anyway. It’s one of my favourite bridges in the world, nay, in the USA, in fact, in all of New York City. It spans the massive Hudson River, just north of where that famous guy recently emergency-​landed that passenger jet on the water.
BooBoo always got the crappy tasks in Jellystone Park. His older, larger friend was a bit of a slob. He had to do all of the laundry, you know. When it was done, BooBoo would come and tell him. There’s a bridge named after it. «Yogi, Washing’sdone Bridge.»
Before I tell you about the bridge, let me tell you about the road that gets you there. Interstate 80 is one of the world’s greatest roads. It begins as the Oakland-​Bay Bridge in San Francisco, cutting through an island halfway across the water, and then proceeds through Sacramento, the Donner Pass, past Tahoe, into Nevada and Reno, then cuts across the mountains and desert of Northern Nevada until it reaches the Great Salt Lake of Utah, and then into SLC, across Wyoming and the Great Divide, across the entirety of Nebraska and Iowa and Illinois into Chicago, then it teams up with I-​90 and does an 80 – 90 duet across Indiana and Ohio, before breaking off from 90 and crossing Pennsylvania north of Pittsburgh and Philly, ultimately entering Jersey, bisecting the Delaware Water Gap, and then, with a marvellous grand finale, it becomes the George Washington Bridge and emerges into the concrete jungle of Manhattan. Then it becomes I-​95, another of the world’s great roads (Maine to Miami), and heads north towards New England. Wow.
I saw a commercial for Dannon. Apparently if you eat a lot of their product, you get rippling muscles on your tummy. It featured this bridge, but they called it the Yogurt Washboardabs Bridge. I have to say I don’t believe the commercial. We’re all allergic to dairy really.
The sheer juxtaposition of the gorgeousness of the New Jersey woodland on one side of the bridge, and the wall of Manhattan concrete on the other, is one reason to love this bridge. The amazing enormity of it (who doesn’t love huge hard things?) is another. And perhaps best of all, when entering Manhattan from Jersey, the view looking south along Manhattan island (especially at dawn) is incomparable. You can literally see the entirety of the island, from the new World Trade Center and the financial downtown at one end, to the Empire State and Chrysler and the monoliths of midtown further up, to the UWS and UES, to Harlem and the Bronx closer to the bridge. It cannot be described in words.
If you like Chinese food and you like it a little burned, then you’ll like this bridge. It’s named the «Charred Wokcooking Bridge.» How awesome is that.
Of course the bridge has its downside. And that downside is the price. It costs $ 14 to enter NYC, and I’m sure that will go up (yet again) in the next year or two. However, leaving New York (never easy) is free, and so if you can find a way to arrange your entry through one of the smaller bridges from the Bronx, you can get into Manhattan for free and then leave for free. Of course that doesn’t really work from New Jersey without driving way out of your way to the north, but it’s still an idea.
If you thing people should pay a premium fee to live in nearby and quaint Wappinger Falls, NY, then don’t use this bridge. Instead use the «Charge Wappingers Bridge.»
It’s a modern structure with a perfect surface, just like a girl I know. It has some of the best views of any bridge anywhere in the world. Despite the lofty price to cross Eastwards, if I don’t give this bridge a 5 star rating, I will never give any bridge a 5 star ever.
Anyway I heard that the singer of Careless Whisper (Mr. Michael) is a naughty boy, and he’s also a voyeur. I’m thinking of starting up a Webcam where I get naked on a bridge and show off for everyone, but specifically for him. Perhaps if my show gets really famous, and if I find out that not only are all the regular old men watching, but he also is watching, then we can rename the bridge «George’s Watchingtoo Bridge.» Hey, a boy can dream.

Beautiful view, but only the south path is open, so watch for cyclists… they think they freaking owe the path. I wish the city kept the norther path open, and separate pedestrians from cyclists. Most are really unpleasant to deal with.

There’s only a few times when I enjoy traffic and this is one of them. I can me nerve wrecking when you are the one behind the wheel but a very nice view when you are the passenger.
$ 14 bucks to go from NJ to NY seems to me like an F$&@ rip off. the only way to go around that without too much hassle is taking the train.
Right now coming from NY to NJ is taking forever, it took us 2 hours last week because they have 2 lower lanes closed… The price you pay to enjoy the big apple

Want to go from Ft Lee, NJ to Manhattan? Don’t feel like driving 10 or 15 miles out of your way to the Tappan Zee or Lincoln Tunnel? Are you not in good enough shape to swim across the Hudson? Might I respectfully suggest you take the George Washington Bridge! It’s the most direct and efficient way to get back and forth from these two locations without getting wet.
Granted, it’s not cheap but neither are swimming lessons or boats. I guess it’s all a matter of how you look at it. So please, if anyone is reading this and considering a more efficient alternative to travel across the Hudson between these two points, save your research time and take my word for it, you want to use this bridge.
(PEOPLE, C’MON CAN I PLEASE GET A FEW USEFUL CLICKS)

This is by far one of the best bridges in New York City. but be aware that if you are coming in from the Lincoln Tunnel if you will be sitting in traffic forever so sucks for you idiots living in Jersey HA! But if you’re leaving or coming into the city from any other way it is a very smooth process.
The reason I gave it four stars instead of five because of the forever changing prices on the bridge that just keeps going up and up. Last week I noise that was raised another dollar to $ 14 in total to cross the bridge. that’s a bit excessive especially since it first started out as $ 8 to $ 10 to $ 13 and now $ 14. Honestly this is a real stretch and they should find ways I’m keeping the price the same I think it was to raise again to $ 16 or something I would just take the Tappan Zee bridge all the time.

When leaving NYC, there’s NO TOLL and I see NJ gas is cheaper than a ½ gallon of Ice Cream?
Bridgegate this! Gimme that cheap gas suckas!
I love the two levels on this bridge, I feel continental when I see the cars only lane. It’s all easy peasy.
Coming back to NYC:
Are you friggin’ high charging me $ 12 bucks on my EZ Pass?
If you want to go on the West Side Highway, LOOK FAST! That exit comes up quicker than money staying in my wallet.
Jersey. It’s one of the states in the tri-​state area. If you need to head west, The GWB is your bridge.
Have a pinky up high when you’re traveling in the cars only lane
;)

I am pleasantly surprised with the wait time for the bridge yesterday on Thanksgiving. Of course, it does help that I now have the WAZE app and found local streets to cut through in Harlem to get to the bridge as opposed to sitting on the Cross Bronx like the idiot I did for so many years for the Thanksgiving Day journey to North Jersey. I was also impressed that there is a huge art sculpture placed strategically as the cars go on the ramp to the lower level of the bridge from Riverside Hwy. All in all, a very successful trip in to NJ and the bridge’s road was smooth itself and free of potholes and bumps in the road.

Hate the traffic coming into the city from jersey. Especially when you have to guess which level has the longer delay.
Over all amazed at the amount of cars that go through it daily and how much money it generates.

A bridge is a bridge is a bridge…
No roadwork on this bridge and I was actually surprised at the lace of traffic!

The 2 ft deep pothole just bent the car tire. There’s no break down lane to change said flat tire so it’s fucking dangerous.
13 dollars per car and the road is still this shitty. 20 plus per truck?!! What is the money really being used on?
Not only is the toll too high And the road shitty, I’ve never spent more time in traffic. On a regular basis in a box truck as well as cars, I’ve never hated a bridge more.

Never mind all the bad press: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie doesn’t routinely order traffic snarls as political retribution for the mayor of Fort Lee, which is where the non-​NYC side of the bridge lets out.
The George Washington Bridge, which is now past its engineered lifespan, offers some of the most stunning views of the Hudson River to the north and New York City to the south, which shines like a cluster of diamonds in the friscillating dusk light of a warm August evening. It will make you fall in love with Manhattan, if you aren’t already. And it’ll have you harking back to elementary-​school history classes about Henry Hudson and the perilous journeys he took up the massive riperian route, suggesting the wilderness and the excitement of what it was like to sail these waters that were as of yet largely unknown to Europeans.
Yes, modern-​day travails of traffic, pollution and reckless drivers put a damper on such musings, but the bridge will snap you out of your quotidian concerns — if you let it – and provide you with plenty of inspiration to guide your day toward loftier aspirations.

According to wikipedia «As of 2013, the George Washington Bridge carries approximately 102 million vehicles per year, making it the world’s busiest motor vehicle bridge» Ummmm… No wonder there is always traffic in Fort Lee.
This will be a two part review, walking and driving:
WALKING:
When you walk across the bridge from NJ to Manhattan you should be more afraid of the cyclists than the traffic. They think they own the bridge even if you are staying to the right and being attentive (ie. no head phones so you can hear them coming from behind).
Other than that, the views south are stunning– Lower Manhattan sparkles in the sun and the Hudson looks lovely. There is a sign dead center — where ownership of the Hudson transfers from NJ to NY — so you know the exact spot where you change jurisdictions (remember NY law is different than NJ for many little of the things – rights on red, moving out of the way of emergency workers etc.).
It is very loud on the bridge because trucks cross at the upper level where you will be walking. It is also shaky and if it is windy, the bridge will sway. Kind of like the Golden Gate in SF.
All and all it is a good experience if you are a local.
DRIVING:
Traffic on the NY side is terrible. It is DC Beltway bad and I have no clue where it comes from or why it is perpetually snarled. I will only take the GWB if I drive to a Yankees Game with my dad (he hates the subway) or if I am going to CT.
Once you get out of the traffic on the helix, its easy to get on the West Side Highway.
Use of the bridge, at least for me, is dependent on where I am going and the other crossings are more useful for me. But that is a personal choice.
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Toll Math: 102,000,000 *$ 13 = 1.326B (does not account for discounts or cars returning from NY to NJ where no toll is collected).