The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, completed in 1964, connects Brooklyn to Staten Island and was the first bridge to do so. It is a double deck suspension bridge and was once the longest in the world. Its installation led to the rapid development of Staten Island, which was previously isolated and only accessible by ferry. The bridge connects to crucial highways in both Brooklyn and Staten Island.
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was completed in New York City in 1964. It connects Brooklyn to Staten Island and was the first bridge to connect the borough of Staten Island to the rest of New York City. It is named after Giovanni da Verrazano, who is credited with being the first European discoverer of New York Harbor in 1524. The bridge’s towers are 693 feet (211.2 meters) tall, and the bridge is approximately 4,260 feet (1.3 kilometers) long. The installation of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is held responsible for the rapid development that occurred in the previously isolated community of Staten Island in the 1960s.
Construction on this bridge began in 1959. Approximately 7,000 Brooklyn residents were displaced from the Bay Ridge neighborhood so their homes could be demolished to make room for the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge ramp. The bridge is generally classified as a double deck suspension bridge. It is open to motorized traffic only, although it is generally considered wide enough to allow pedestrian traffic as well.
For a time, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge enjoyed the distinction of being the longest suspension bridge in the world. It is so long that its towers are 1,625 inches (4.13 centimeters) further apart than their bases, because engineers were forced to account for the curvature of the Earth when designing this long bridge.
Prior to the construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the only form of transportation to Staten Island from New York City was by ferry. Although three bridges connected Staten Island to mainland New Jersey, the community’s relative isolation from New York City has led it to remain more rural than the other four burrows. Ferry services from Brooklyn to Staten Island ceased in 1964, almost immediately after the bridge opened to motorized traffic. The Staten Island community is believed to have enjoyed a boom period following the bridge’s opening.
In Brooklyn, this bridge connects to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the Belt Parkway. In Staten Island, it connects to the Staten Island Expressway. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is therefore part of a crucial network of highways that allow travelers faster passage through the Mid-Atlantic region.
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