The Winning Plan

The Winning Plan. . , In 1924, Othmar Amman began promoting his winning plan to cross the Hudson River from New York City. He was one in a long line of visionaries who developed proposals for a bridge., Though the idea had been floated for a century, the need for a bridge peaked in the early 1900's. Automobiles could only cross the Hudson by ferry, and the shipping port was overcrowded. While bridge locations were considered, a passage underwater was approved. In 1920, work began on the Holland Tunnel, the longest of its kind at the time. However, the dream of a bridge over the river remained., The engineer behind New York's Hell Gate Railroad Bridge, Gustav Lindenthal, came close to realizing that dream. In 1921, he advocated for a double-deck bridge connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, to West 57th Street in Manhattan. The scheme was ambitious with its 12 railroads and 16 paved lanes. The expense and scale of the proposal were questioned, but Lindenthal was backed by rail company and refused to modify his plan., Ammann worked with Lindenthal at the time, but recognized the scheme's problems. He argued for fewer lanes and a more northern location to keep the project within economic and political constraints. Lindenthal rebuked him for not thinking on a grander scale, and they parted ways., Ammann went on to pursue his own vision. In a makeshift office, he designed a vehicular suspension bridge to connect Fort Lee, New Jersey, with West 178th Street in Manhattan., This new design had financial merit because it avoided a contentious site in midtown Manhattan and it would be lighter without rail travel. It was made even more economical by incorporating deflection theory, requiring a relatively small amount of material despite its strength. It would be one of the first applications of the theory on a large scale, resulting in a graceful appearance without compromising safety., The same year that Ammann presented his design, Ford Motor Company announced it had manufactured its 10 millionth automobile , evidence that a bridge without railways was in line with the times. Soon, both states agreed to entrust the financing, construction and operation of the bridge to the recently established Port of New York Authority. Ammann was hired to see his project through., [Captions:] , Aerial view of the New York metropolitan region in the early 1920's. The East River is to the right, the island of Manhattan is at center, and the Hudson River and New Jersey shoreline is at the left., The proposed location for a bridge connecting Fort Lee and Washington Heights., Architect Cass Gilbert drew plans for stone-clad towers, which were not carried out, as well as a park and marina at the base of the Manhattan tower., Othmar Ammann's early sketch of a suspension bridge across the Hudson River depicted towers of stone and a double deck roadway.