Bear Mountain Bridge Opens     

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The Bear Mountain Bridge was opened to traffic on Thanksgiving Day, 1924.  The formal opening ceremonies took place the day before, on November 26.  People from New York City came to the Peekskill Railroad Station, and arrangements were made to transport them by motorcade to the bridge.  The motorcade stopped on the new east approach highway, and people walked to the east abutment of the bridge where the West Point Band played The Star Spangled Banner.  
The ribbon was cut, then the motorcade formed a line four abreast on the bridge and proceeded to cross.  The West Point Band paraded ahead of the motorcade to the west approach, where the dignitaries were seated.  Mrs. Mary Harriman pulled the cord that drew apart two American flags, unveiling a large bronze tablet dedicated to all who contributed to the creation of the bridge.
The Bear Mountain Bridge set new standards in engineering that triggered a "golden age" in big bridge building along the Hudson and throughout the New York Metropolitan area. 

Despite the bridge's technological success, it turned out to be a financial failure: it operated at a loss for thirteen out of its first sixteen years.  In 1940 the State was asked to exercise its buyout option.
On September 25, 1940, the Bridge Authority bought Bear Mountain on behalf of the state for $2,275,000.  It immediately reduced tolls on the bridge to $.50 each way for passenger cars, and eliminated the toll on the east highway approach.  In 1945 tolls were again reduced to $.25 each way, and then in 1970 the Bridge Authority made tolls on all of its spans $.50 for eastbound traffic only.

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