The George Washington Bridge spanning the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey is often called the most beautiful bridge in the world. Such a bridge had been envisioned ever since the Brooklyn Bridge was built in the 1890s but the execution of such a large span had to wait for more than a quarter of a century, until 1931.

The film tells the story of the building of the bridge, which is also the story of the brilliant engineer, Othmar Amman, who became obsessed with this grandiose plan. For two years he had no income while he worked on its design and solicited politicians for support. New Yorkers were absorbed watching its construction and even participated in its naming through a poll.

Appearing in this lively film is Kathleen Hulser of the New York Historical Society who puts the construction of the bridge into the historical perspective of New York City at the beginning of the 20th century. Archival footage shows a city that is teeming with energy as bridges, tunnels, and tall buildings are being built at a rate not seen before in a modern city. It was a great time in the history of engineering when being an engineer was like being a rocket scientist today. Dan Rastorfer, author of 6 Bridges and Christian Meyer, Columbia University School of Engineering, describe the technical challenges of building this magnificent suspension bridge.