George Washington Bridge

George Washington Bridge

There are about 20 bridges that connect the island of Manhattan to other lands.  The most famous of these, of course, is the Brooklyn Bridge, the first steel-wire suspension bridge ever built in the world.  But, of course, the Brooklyn Bridge was not the first bridge to Manhattan, nor was it the last.

Of the 20 or so bridges connecting to Manhattan, all but one are on the east side of the island, connecting the island to either Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx.  There is only one bridge on the west side of the island, and that bridge is the George Washington Bridge, connecting the island to Fort Lee, NJ.

Built in 1931, the bridge is 4760 feet in length and is the most-traveled bridge in the world on a daily basis, carrying an average of 300,000 people every day.  It’s also one of the most photographed bridges in the city.

I’ve photographed the bridge in the past, taking these shots from various points:

Nightfall on the Hudson

The George Washington Bridge at Sunset.

The George Washington Bridge as seen from the top of the Billings Arches at Fort Tryon Park

Recently, I had the opportunity to go back to Fort Washington Park and shoot the bridge again, catching just as the sun set behind the Palisades, casting a beautiful orange glow across the clouds and sky.  And, of course, I had to get a shot of the famous Little Red Lighthouse at the foot of the bridge.