The Bronx-Whitestone Bridge

  • Bronx-Whitestone Bridge 1939, Courtesy of MTA Bridges and Tunnels Special Archives
  • Bronx-Whitestone Bridge 1939, Courtesy of MTA Bridges and Tunnels Special Archives

The Bronx-Whitestone Bridge is another product of the 1930s. Before the completion of this bridge in 1939, the only crossing available for cars between Queens and the Bronx was the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (formerly the Triborough Bridge). To alleviate congestion on the RFK, Robert Moses proposed a new bridge.

It took just under two years for the Whitestone Bridge to be built. Its April opening coincided with the 1939 New York World’s Fair and it was considered the “gateway” to the fair. These events also lined up with the 150th anniversary of George Washington‘s inauguration.