5. The Bayonne Bridge Was Originally Supposed to Encased in Stone and Masonry

The abutments of the Bayonne Bridge were originally supposed to be encased in stone and masonry like the George Washington Bridge was as well (see images of this unfinished vision, also involving Cass Gilbert). But due to the depression all granite facing was left off. The bridge looks a bit unfinished without the stonework, but the Port Authority saved almost a million dollars omitting the granite. Consulting plans by Cass Gilbert show the masonry as a “graceful transition between the massive concrete piers of the viaduct and the open steelwork of the arch.”