When it opened on November 27, 1924, it was the first bridge to cross the Hudson River south of Albany, New York and longest suspension bridge in the world; it was also the first suspension bridge to have a concrete deck. The construction methods pioneered in building it would make possible several much larger projects to follow, including the George Washington Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge.
It was built by the private Bear Mountain Hudson River Bridge Company (created by an act of New York State) under control of the family of E. H. Harriman following the construction of Bear Mountain State Park in 1910. Ownership was transferred to the New York State Bridge Authority in 1940.
