Car Rentals Brooklyn and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge

Take a NYC Discount Car Rentals vehicle across the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. If you drive your NYC Discount Car Rentals vehicle across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, you’ll be one of about 190,000 vehicles that cross it each day.

When the bridge was completed in 1964, the bridge was the world’s longest suspension bridge, as measured by its main span. It had this title until 1981. Today, the bridge is about the sixth longest suspension bridge in the world. Japan’s Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Kobe-Naruto stretches 6,527 feet. It was completed in 1998.

Did you know …

NYC Discount Car Rentals note this bridge was named after Giovanni di Verrazano – the Italian explorer who discovered New York Harbour and North America’s East Coast in 1524.

History of the Narrows Bridge

Before the Narrows Bridge was built, people had to cross over from the island to New York by ferries. Normally, the five-mile crossing to Manhattan took half an hour. The mile crossing to Brooklyn took only 10 minutes. However, if there was heavy fog or ice, the trip could take much longer.

Originally, there were talks to build a tunnel to join Brooklyn and Staten Island where Upper New York Harbor joins Lower New York Harbor. Those talks came about in 1888. NYC Discount Car Rentals note that due to financial constraints and delays in the approval process, the proposed tunnel was put aside until 1898. When five boroughs united to form the Greater New York, the interest in building a connection between the island and the main land was refueled. This time, a bridge was proposed. The 2,500-foot-long steel arch span would provide a 260-foot-high clearance to allow tall ships to pass and also serve as a monumental gateway to New York City. Unfortunately, military officials struck down this proposal, saying if the bridge was destroyed in wartime, it would bottle up New York Harbor and the Brooklyn Navy Yard and seriously hamper the fighting potential of the people.

In a 1941 proposal proposed by the New York City Planning Department, several reasons were stated why it would be favorable to have a vehicular crossing:

  • It would provide a Staten Island connection that wasn’t hampered by weather conditions (as it affects the ferry system).
  • It would be part of a through route for express buses connecting Staten Island with Brooklyn and Manhattan.

NYC Discount Car Rentals say that the Narrows Bridge was delayed due to the Second World War. In the 1950s, the Joint Study of Arterial Facilities had a proposal that suggested the Narrows Bridge be tied into the network of expressways and parkways. Robert Moses was the chair of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority. He gained approval from engineers of the Army Corps to make sure the bridge could have a 228-foot clearance. By building a bridge, the Port Authority would see increased traffic through Staten Island to Goethals Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing. At that time, these two bridges were losing a lot of money since they opened in 1928. Also, Moses was able to get the Narrows Crossing he always wanted to build.

It was estimated to cost about $95,000,000.

The Joint Study also proposed the Narrows Bridge would connect Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island and Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn. The span would have two decks. Each deck would carry six lanes of traffic. Including the immediate approaches, the bridge length would be 2.7 miles. From anchorage to anchorage, the structure stretches 7,200 feet with a 4,620-foot center span. San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge has a 4,200-foot center span and a 3,500-foot center span of the George Washington Bridge.

Book your NYC Discount Car Rentals vehicle during your stay in the Big Apple and drive on the historic Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

Check out the Yonkers car rental All Car Rent a Car location at 1919 Central Park Ave., Yonkers, NY 10710