The Daily Dig
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reopened the rebuilt South Walk of the George Washington Bridge on October 15, 2026. The walkway rebuild was part of Skanska’s $452 million contract to replace all 592 of the bridge’s suspender ropes.
Pedestrians now have dedicated use of the South Walk. Cyclists get the North Walk all to themselves.
The split ends more than three and a half years of sharing. The North Walk handled more than 637,000 trips in 2025, and cyclists made up about 55% of that traffic.
Learning the Ropes
Rope replacement ran from September 2018 to March 2025. The bridge stayed open to traffic for the entire job.
Keeping traffic moving required custom equipment. “The team developed hoisting systems that could be safely utilized with no disruption to normal bridge traffic,” said David Murawski, senior vice president of operations at Skanska USA Civil.
The walkways had to come out before the ropes could. According to Murawski, crews removed the sidewalk first, replaced the suspenders, and then restored the path.
Only one walkway could stay open at a time. The North Walk was rebuilt first and reopened in February 2023. The South Walk closed the next day for its own reconstruction.
Finishing the rope work in March 2025 cleared the way for crews to complete the South Walk.
Ramp It Down
Narrow sidewalks and steep ramps are gone. The new approach paths run up to 14 feet wide, and their grades never exceed 5%.
Those gentler slopes make it possible for wheelchair and stroller users to reach the bridge.
In New York, the entry at Cabrini Boulevard and West 178th Street pairs a widened approach path with a staircase up to a new viewing platform.
In New Jersey, an expanded plaza on Hudson Terrace adds a new crosswalk and connects to Fort Lee Historic Park.
Crews also widened the known chokepoints around the towers. Enhanced security fencing, improved lighting, pavement markings, and wayfinding signage round out the upgrades.
Not Done Yet
Skanska will stay on site for several more months to remove temporary conduit and handle additional electrical work.
The $2 billion Restoring the George program now has eight of its 11 projects complete. The rope job, finished in March 2025, was the largest of them.
Snapshot:
Project: George Washington Bridge South Walk Renovation
Owner/Operator: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Contractor: Skanska (Skanska USA Civil)
Contract: $452 million suspender rope replacement, including walkway rebuild
Location: Hudson River crossing between Upper Manhattan, N.Y., and Bergen County, N.J.
Reopening Date: October 15, 2026
Path Length: 1.5 miles
Scope: Full rebuild of south path; ADA accessible approach paths; viewing platforms; enhanced security fencing; improved lighting; pavement markings; wayfinding signage; widened chokepoints at towers
Approach Paths: Up to 14 ft. wide, max 5% grade
NY Entry: Cabrini Boulevard and West 178th Street; widened approach path; staircase to belvedere viewing platform
NJ Entry: Expanded plaza on Hudson Terrace; new crosswalk; connection to Fort Lee Historic Park
Means and Methods: Custom hoisting systems; custom designed temporary work platforms suspended from the main cable; no disruption to bridge traffic
Rope Replacement: Sept. 2018 to March 2025; all 592 suspender ropes
Walkway Sequence: North Walk reopened Feb. 2023; South Walk closed the next day; South Walk reopened Oct. 2026
Use Arrangement: South Walk for pedestrians; North Walk for cyclists
2025 North Walk Trips: 637,000+ (approx. 55% cyclists, 45% pedestrians)
Maintenance Closures: South Walk Mon/Thu, North Walk Tue/Fri, 12:01 a.m. to 4:45 a.m.; open path shared during closures
Remaining Contractor Work: Temporary conduit removal; additional electrical work; several months
Program: Restoring the George, $2 billion, 11 projects, began 2013
Program Status: 8 complete, 2 ongoing, 1 planned
Ongoing Program Work: Center Avenue and Lemoine Avenue bridges; lower level steel rehab, paint removal, and movable maintenance platform replacement
Planned Program Work: One project covering the Fort Washington, Broadway, Wadsworth, St. Nicholas, Audubon, and Amsterdam Avenue bridges over the Trans-Manhattan Expressway
TheJobWalk Thoughts
Putting the walkway rebuild inside Skanska’s rope contract kept a tightly linked sequence under one contract. Crews tore out the sidewalk, swapped the suspenders, and restored the path, all on a crossing that stayed open to traffic. When one scope physically blocks another, keeping both under the same contract tends to make coordination easier.
Three program projects remain, two ongoing and one planned. Some of that scope may already be awarded. The planned work on six Trans-Manhattan Expressway overpasses is still the one for steel and bridge rehab teams to keep on their radar.
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