Description: The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects the New York City boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn across the Narrows, the strait that connects the upper and lower parts of New York Bay. Its name derives from the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first European navigator known to have entered New York Bay and the Hudson River.
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| Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge |
Staten Island and Brooklyn are interconnected by the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, a suspension bridge that spans the strait of the same name and links the lower and upper parts of New York Bay. It owes its name to Giovanni Da Verrazzano, an Italian explorer and the first European navigator to enter both the Hudson River and New York Bay.
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| Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge |
Its construction ended in 1964 and from then until 1981, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world with its 1,298 meters in length. It currently ranks 7th even though it remains the longest in the US It has tall towers that can be seen from all 5 boroughs as well as the city's metropolitan area and is a critical connection point in the regional and local road system. Famous for being the starting point of the famous New York City Marathon, much of the maritime traffic that circulates between New Jersey and New York passes under its structure.
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| Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge |
The length of its central section is 1,298 m. which made it the longest suspension bridge in the world from the end of its construction in 1964 to 1981. Today it ranks seventh among the longest suspension bridges in the world but it is still the longest in the United States. Its tall towers can be seen from much of the New York metropolitan area, including parts of all 5 boroughs. The bridge constitutes a critical link in the local and regional road system. It is widely known as the starting point of the New York City Marathon. Most of the maritime traffic destined for the ports of New York and New Jersey must pass under the bridge.
This bridge was also helped to build by mid-1930s boxer and heavyweight champion James Walker Braddock, better known as the Cinderella Man of New Jersey.