Bridges on the way to Connecticut

After a delightful 3 -week visit with us, including a side trip to NC, we took Elaine back to Connecticut on June 26. The most direct way is to Baltimore and follow I 95/New Jersey Turnpike to New York, then up I-684 to Danbury. Along the way, we cross two significant shipping channels. The first is the Delaware River that serves ports in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware. The second is the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York. It was overcast and hazy for most of the trip and then heavy rain as we drove north from New York City. Traffic was heavy and slow across NYC and with the rain north of the city. It took us 3 hours to go the last 66 miles from the end of the New Jersey Turnpike to Elaine's. My thanks to Marianne who took these shots as I drove.

Approach to Delaware Memorial Bridge

The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a twin-span, suspension bridge. The first span was completed in 1951 and the second span opened in 1968, as traffic far exceeded the original estimates. Each span carries 4 lanes of traffic. The main spans are 2,150 feet and total length of the bridge is 2.5 miles. The towers are 417 feet high and the bridge is 188 feet above the shipping channel.

On the north bound span

The George Washington Bridge is a 14-lane, two-level suspension bridge. The upper level opened in 1931 and the lower level in 1962. The GW bridge towers are 604 feet high and shipping clearance is 212 feet. The length of the bridge is 4,760 feet. There are multiple roads leading to and from the bridge, with a number of merges and possible exits. The bridge is not a place for a timid driver on a Friday afternoon!

Almost to the bridge

Lower level of the bridge

View from bridge south - City of New York on left

My World Tuesday - Statue of Liberty

In 2007 we visited the Statue of Liberty with 2 of our grandsons. Prior to their visit, Michael had told us there were three things he wanted to see someday: the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell. We also were attending the first birthday party for our youngest grandson in nearby New Jersey and only told the boys that's here we were going. The New York part was a surprise. They got their first look at NYC from the Jersey Turnpike. We checked into the hotel and then took a drive into the city. Taking a wrong exit got us to the Holland Tunnel rather than the George Washington Bridge. We went down towards the Battery, turned west along the Hudson, then cut into the center of the city. Saturday we visited the Statue of Liberty. Liberty Island is in New York Harbor and is only accessible by ferry. Here is the view waiting to board the ferry.

The ferry also stops at Ellis Island, once the port of entry for many who immigrated to the US.

And we got a grand view of Ms Liberty as we approached the island.

Here's a shot of Marianne and the boys with the Manhattan skyline.

We had passes to visit the museum gallery and observation level of the pedestal. After September 11, 2001, the island was closed for 100 days. Access to the museum and pedestal (but not the statue itself) was reopen in August 2004. The original torch was removed in 1984 due to corrosion and is now on display in the museum.

The museum tells the story of the creation of the statue and has examples of the formed copper that makes up its exterior.

Access to the crown observation area may be reopened, but it is a 22-story climb. Here is a view of the pedestal and statue. The observation deck is a narrow walkway just above the windows. It is 90 feet above ground.

And here is the view looking down.

On our way back to the hotel we made another pass through the city. So the boys got to see a number of landmarks from ground level: Empire State building, United Nations, Times Square, Central Park, Holland and Lincoln tunnels, the George Washington Bridge. Sunday we celebrated Winston's birthday and drove back home. For more views from the pedestal see my (link Bridges of NY) post yesterday.

Bridges of New York

In 2007 we visited the Statue of Liberty with 2 of our grandsons. The statue is on Liberty Island in the New York Harbor. It offers a grand view of Manhattan and two of the important bridges of New York. In all there are 8 bridges and 3 tunnels for motor vehicles that cross these two rivers in the city. In addition there are subways and ferries providing transportation.

The Brooklyn Bridge spans the East River, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. In 1857 the New York legislature began consideration of a bill to build such a bridge. The bill passed in 1866 and John Augustus Roebling and Wilhelm Hildenbrand were hired to design the bridge. Work began in 1870 and was opened to traffic on May 24, 1883. Toll for pedestrians was 1 cent on opening day and then 3 cents; vehicles were a nickle. Today there are no tolls. Total length is 6016 feet with a main span of 1595 feet. For a comprehensive history of the bridge see Brooklyn Bridge Facts, History and Information. The towers of the Manhattan Bridge can also be seen beyond the Brooklyn Bridge. For another shot of the Brooklyn Bridge see Mary the Teach's post.

The (link) Verrazano-Narrows Bridge spans the mouth of the upper New York bay. It connects the New York city boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island. It was named for explorer Giovanni da Verrazano, the first European to sail into New York Harbor. The bridge was completed in 1964 and at that time was the longest suspension bridge in the world with a main span of 4,260 feet. The towers are 693 feet high. For more of this trip see My world Tuesday on the April 7.