Triborough Bridge ca. 1936

The Triborough Bridge was the first major bridge to link three of New York City's five boroughs; its four over-water spans interconnect The Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan. Establishment of the Triborough Bridge Authority to finance this ambitious project also set a precedent: all major New York City bridges since the completion of the Triborough Bridge have depended on the underwriting of a similar agency. Beginning in 1904, when Manhattan's new subway was extended to Broadway and 145th Street, the population of Harlem expanded rapidly. By 1913, there was a call for a bridge that could create easier access from this area of Manhattan to Queens, in order to develop sparsely settled areas of Queens and The Bronx and to bolster the value of Harlem real estate east of Park Avenue. Unable to sell municipal bonds following the 1929 Stock Market crash, those promoting the bridge concept developed the idea of a bridge authority able to issue bonds that would be repaid by tolls. By the early 1930s, the need for jobs to replace those lost in the deepening Depression field further support for such an authority.

The Triborough's outstanding feature is its 1,380 foot suspension bridge between Randalls Island and Astoria, Queens. Its cables are 98 feet apart; only the George Washington Bridge cables exceed this distance. All three spans have pedestrian walks, providing Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan walkers with access to all three boroughs and to the Randalls Island Park.