Anticipating an increase in vehicular traffic in the post war era, in 1945 Robert Moses proposed a plan to build the Throgs Neck Bridge. It would divert the traffic from the nearby overloaded Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, a project that he had completed in 1939 with the help of Othmar Ammann. The Throgs Neck Bridge would be a suspension bridge just like its predecessor. One of the challenges that Robert Moses faced was the fact that his plan for the Throgs Neck Bridge did not receive immediate enthusiasm from any of the organizations he had previously worked with. In 1955 a proposal for the Throgs Neck Bridge was brought forth by the Joint Study of Arterial Facilities (chaired by Robert Moses) and approved. The funding for the bridge was provided in the form of Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) bonds, a total of $92 million dollars in construction costs. The federal-aid Interstate highway provided supplementary financial support for the approach roads to the bridge. With the Triborough Bridge and the Whitestone Bridge facing annual traffic volume of 38 million and 30 million respectively, it became increasingly clear that a third bridge was needed to support increasing traffic. Despite this practical need for the Throgs Neck Bridge, local community groups in Queens and the Bronx vehemently opposed its construction, fearing that the bridge would negatively impact their community. Construction began in 1957. Part of the projects goal was to extend the Cross-Bronx Expressway: as a result Clearview and Throngs Neck Expressways were also constructed. Once again Robert Moses commissioned Othmar Ammann as the chief designer of the bridge. Only few years after the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Othmar Amman had to take into consideration the public concerns over deck movement. Although aesthetically the design for the Throgs Neck Bridge is similar to that of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, Othmar Amman wanted to address the concerns of the public by using a more conservative method to design the Throngs Neck Bridge. Unlike the Whitestone Bridge, which used flexible steel-plate girder for reinforcement, the Throngs Neck Bridge used the more traditional and stable stiffening trusses to reinforce the 1,800-foot main span. The bridge stands 142 feet above the East River, supported but two 3,205 foot long steel wires, each measuring 23 inches in diameter. In 2000, the MTA Bridges and Tunnels Authority allocated $23 million dollars for a comprehensive rehabilitation project. The rehabilitation project was completed in 2004.