Pulaski Skyway, Cantilever bridge in Jersey City, United States.
The Pulaski Skyway is a cantilever bridge in Jersey City that crosses the New Jersey Meadowlands, linking the cities of Newark and Jersey City. The steel structure spans the Hackensack and Passaic rivers at a height of about 135 feet, carrying motorists over nearly 3.5 miles of wetland.
Construction began in the 1920s as part of a project connecting Elizabeth to the Holland Tunnel, costing 20 million dollars at the time. The bridge opened to ease traffic through the growing suburbs of New Jersey, and trucks have been prohibited since 1934 for safety reasons.
The bridge takes its name from General Casimir Pulaski, a Polish officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Television viewers recognize the steel framework from the opening sequence of The Sopranos, and Orson Welles mentioned it in his 1938 radio drama War of the Worlds.
The four-lane roadway carries roughly 67,000 vehicles daily between Newark and Jersey City but can become congested during peak hours. Drivers should check weather reports, as strong winds can make the drive challenging on the elevated, open structure.
Danish engineer Sigvald Johannesson chose a truss design rather than a suspension bridge construction, giving the structure its sharp silhouette. This approach differed from other major bridges of the era, such as the George Washington Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge.
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