The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island was named in honor of Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano. However, its name was spelled incorrectly for more than half a century. Now change is on the way, as on Wednesday crews from MTA Bridges and Tunnels replaced the sign at 92nd Street near Fort Hamilton Parkway in Bay Ridge that points to an entrance ramp to the bridge.
It’s the first of many signs to be replaced on agency property to feature the revised spelling of the bridge’s name, incorporating an additional ‘z’ in “Verrazzano.” Legislation officially changing the name of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to reflect the correct spelling of Giovanni da Verrazzano — who, in 1524, was the first European explorer to sail into New York Harbor, which the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge now spans — was signed into law in October 2019 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
