Which suspension bridge, completed in 1964, links Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City?

The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge links Staten Island and Brooklyn across the Narrows in New York City.

The bridge opened in two stages: the upper level began carrying traffic in 1964, and the lower level opened in 1969. It was designed by chief engineer Othmar Ammann, whose other major New York projects included the George Washington Bridge. The bridge’s two decks carry Interstate 478 and provide a critical connection between Staten Island and Brooklyn.

Its main suspension span measures 1,298 metres. When the first deck opened, it surpassed the Golden Gate Bridge’s main-span record and became the longest suspension bridge in the world. That record later passed to bridges including the Humber Bridge in England and Japan’s Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.

The bridge was named for Giovanni da Verrazzano, the Italian explorer who sailed into New York Harbor in 1524. The spelling of the name has been a frequent subject of public discussion, but the official name uses the double-z spelling “Verrazzano.”