October 25 is a big day in history for New Jersey bridges

October 25th is an important day for New Jersey bridges; on this day in 1902, Alfred Driscoll was born in Pittsburgh.

His family moved to New Jersey when he was four and grew up in Haddonfield. According to the book On This Day in New Jersey History, Driscoll graduated from Harvard Law School and entered New Jersey politics. His most notable office was governor. His tenure as governor (1947-1954) was busy. He was known for “…enabling a new state constitution, desegregating the National Guard, passing civil rights legislation, reforming the court system, establishing temporary disability insurance for workers, and constructing the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway." The Parkway’s bridge over the Raritan River is named for him.

On October 25th, 1931, the George Washington Bridge, connecting Fort Lee to New York, was opened for traffic. When it was built, it was twice as long as any other suspension bridge. According to Wikipedia, it is the world’s busiest motor vehicle bride, carrying over 103 million vehicles a year. Originally it had just one deck; the lower deck was constructed between 1958 and 1962. The current tolls for cars is $10.50 during off peak hours and $12.50 during peak hours heading into New York; entering New Jersey is free.

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