The George Washington Bridge will illuminate the nights on the Hudson. For a few days, in fact, the two steel towers of the bridge are illuminated every evening from sunset to 22, permanently. It is a novelty: from its opening to traffic, in 1931, the towers had never been lit every night. The start was scheduled to coincide with the celebrations of 4 July and the calendar for the 250 years of the United States, which in 2026 is bringing several official events between New York and New Jersey.
The bridge connects Washington Heights, Manhattan, Fort Lee, New Jersey, and is one of the most popular infrastructure in the metropolitan area. When it was inaugurated it had the longest main span in the world; today it is mainly a daily passage for cars, trucks, commuters and goods.
The towers had already been illuminated in the past, but only in some occasions. In 2000 hundreds of bulbs were installed for holiday and special events; now that system was replaced with more efficient LED lights. The Port Authority has also updated the 156 lights along the cables, called “necklace lights”, which already designed at night the profile of the bridge.
The intervention is part of the “Restoring the George”, the large maintenance and renewal program of approximately 2 billion dollars initiated by the Port Authority to extend the life of the bridge. Inside the project there are works that go far beyond the lights: the protection and dehumidification of the main cables, composed of 26,474 wires, and the replacement of the 592 vertical cables that connect the cables to the carriage.
Work will continue to have effects for those who cross the bridge every day. The new accessible ramp of the south side should open by the end of 2026; when ready, pedestrians will use the south side and cyclists on the north side. But for the end of the most invasive work you will have to wait September, as we explained here.
L’articolo The George Washington Bridge, illuminated every night proviene da IlNewyorkese.
