Tourists and history buffs alike love the interesting facts about the George Washington Bridge. There is certainly no shortage of fun facts about the George Washington Bridge. Here are five of the most unusual.
1. Radio fans save the bridge
Howard Stern fans were called into action on December 7, 1994. A young man called Stern’s radio show and announced that he was about to jump off the George Washington Bridge. Westbound listeners stopped their cars and tried to dissuade him. A Port Authority police officer, who was also listening to Stern, rescued the man and then used the would-be jumper’s cell phone to tell Stern and his listeners that the man was safe.
2. Deviations from flight plans
On Christmas Day 1965 he surprised motorists on the George Washington Bridge when a small plane crashed into the westbound lanes. A young pilot had skimped on his previous flight and left the fuel cap uncapped. An old adage of pilots is: “A good landing is one that you get away from. A great landing is one where you can use the plane again.” This was a good landing, as the pilot and his passenger left with minor injuries. However, it was not a great landing, as the plane was demolished. He also cut out a truck, the driver of which must have been amused by explaining to his dispatcher why he was late and his platform was damaged. Motorists received another aviation surprise on January 15, 2009, when US Airways Flight 1549 approached them. Pilot Chesley Sullenberger managed to clear the bridge for just 900 feet before getting stuck in the Hudson.
3. What’s in a name?
Local newspapers called for a more ingenious name than the original Hudson River Bridge. His suggestions included Bistate and Mother’s Bridge, Bridge of Prosperity, Gate of Paradise, and Pride of the Nation. However, it was New York City school children who managed to push for a new christening in honor of George Washington. The name is particularly apt, as the end of the Manhattan Bridge is near Fort Washington, from where Washington once withdrew its forces to Fort Lee, near the end of the New Jersey Bridge.
4. The heaviest traffic in the world
On the day the George Washington Bridge opened, it was home to more than 55,000 vehicles, 33,000 pedestrians, and an equestrian on a horse named Rubio. Now the bridge carries approximately 106 million vehicles a year, an average of nearly 300,000 a day, the most of any motor vehicle bridge in the world. Pedestrians, as well as skaters and cyclists, still traverse the upper deck.
5. Involuntary garbage dump
With all that traffic, setbacks are inevitable. Occasionally trucks capsized and spilled their cargo. Unscheduled deliveries included beer, frozen chicken parts and watermelons. A truck released a herd of goats trotting down the lanes. Another truck treated motorists and bridge employees with free fertilizer when it could not contain its load of manure.
