This photo shows the George Washington Bridge under construction with "auto gyros" flying by. The bridge was dedicated on October 24, 1931, and opened to traffic the following day. Initially named the "Hudson River Bridge," the bridge is named in honor of George Washington. The Bridge is near the sites of Fort Washington (on the New York side) and Fort Lee (in New Jersey), which were fortified positions used by General Washington and his American forces in his unsuccessful attempt to deter the British. It is now known informally as the GW Bridge, the GWB, the GW, or the George.