en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) announced that starting June 29, the two towers of the George Washington Bridge will be permanently illuminated each night from dusk until 10 p.m. Executive Director Kathryn Garcia presided over the lighting ceremony at 9 p.m. that evening, commemorating the upcoming 250th birthday of the United States. Since the bridge's construction in 1927 and its opening to traffic in 1931, the towers have never had nighttime lighting.

The 94-year-old bridge will serve as the backdrop for the national "America250" celebration event "Sail4th," which will feature the world's largest parade of tall ships and an international naval fleet review. The fleet will depart from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, traverse New York Harbor, head north along the Hudson River toward the George Washington Bridge, and then turn south.

When it opened to traffic, the bridge was the longest main-span bridge in the world and is still regarded as an engineering marvel. In 2009, it became the first bridge in the region to have all its cable lights replaced with LED bulbs. Nearly 800 traditional bulbs installed on the New York and New Jersey towers in 2000 have now been fully replaced with LED bulbs, achieving a 40% reduction in both cost and energy consumption.