IN THE PLANNING STAGES: As early as 1906, the governors of New York and New Jersey proposed a bridge over the Hudson River between 179th Street in Manhattan and Fort Lee. That year, the governors appointed an Interstate Bridge Commission for the purpose of constructing one or more trans-Hudson bridges at the joint expense of the two states. A 1910 report from the Commission recommended the Fort Lee location as follows:
From the purely engineering point of view, it is the most economical crossing from Manhattan over the Hudson River that it is possible to select, it being the narrowest part of the river, with comparatively small land damages on either side. The approaches over land are short, that from New York reaching 179th Street over Fort Washington Park, and that from New Jersey over the proposed limits of Palisade Park. The foundation problems are not likely to be of great magnitude as far as can be judged in the absence of borings. The rock is on the surface at Fort Washington point, involving no foundation work whatever, beyond leveling off the same. Furthermore, the channel span need not, in our engineer's opinion, be over 1,400 feet or thereabouts, which will give abundant passage for all river traffic, the north limit anchorage for large vessels being below this crossing. This site has not been bored, but in our engineer's opinion, from the apparent geological condition, 10 million dollars will cover the cost of a bridge at this point for highway and speed trolley service, being in their opinion one-third the cost of a bridge lower down the river.
Read Full Article »