Turning Othmar H. Ammann’s engineering vision into a functioning facility began with a groundbreaking ceremony in Fort Lee, New Jersey on September 21, 1927. Over the course of more than four years, men and machines poured hundreds of thousands of yards of concrete for the anchorages and roadways, strung tons of galvanized steel wire for the suspension and suspender cables, and fastened together tons of structural steel for the bridge’s two towers and road deck. Foundations for the towers and the anchorages were excavated and constructed first and then built at the same time. The project’s budget was set at $60 million for land, acquisition, demolition and construction. It opened to the public on October 25, 1931 –eight months ahead of schedule and $1 million under budget. When it opened, it was the longest main-span suspension bridge in the world. It remains the most traversed bridge in the world.