A bridge that long could not plausibly cost $29 million to build

Evidence

The reformers had found Moses’ statement incredible. He said the bridge—including “all necessary approaches”—would cost 41,200,000. One approach alone, the Elevated Highway in Brooklyn, was, they knew, going to cost 12,000,000. Even without figuring in the cost of the Manhattan approaches, that left only 29,000,000 for construction of the bridge proper. That figure was ridiculous on its face: the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, half as long, and four lanes instead of six, had cost 39,000,000. — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 2789