George Washington Bridge Westbound Toll: Free
The GWB westbound toll is $0. There is no charge to cross westbound into New Jersey, ever, for any vehicle.
Tariff effective 4 January 2026 | Verified 21 May 2026 | Source: Port Authority of NY and NJ
Westbound = Free, Eastbound = Tolled
The George Washington Bridge collects tolls in one direction only: eastbound, into New York. Westbound, into New Jersey, is free for every vehicle class at every time of day. There is no E-ZPass charge, no Toll-by-Mail bill, no overhead gantry that bills you. You simply cross.
This applies whether you are in a passenger car, a 6-axle tractor-trailer, a motorcycle, an RV, a coach bus, or a U-Haul moving truck. The westbound toll is zero for all of them. See eastbound rates for comparison.
Why Westbound Is Free
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey switched all interstate crossings to one-way toll collection in 1970. The policy reasoning was congestion: every vehicle that passed through a toll plaza slowed the system, so eliminating half of those interactions (by charging eastbound only at double the original rate) cut delays without reducing revenue.
Every Port Authority crossing between the two states follows this rule. The Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge, and Outerbridge Crossing are all free westbound and tolled eastbound at the same rate tables as the GWB.
What This Means for Your Trip
If you live in New York and work in New Jersey, your daily commute pays the GWB toll once per day (on the return trip eastbound). If you live in New Jersey and work in Manhattan, you also pay once per day, but on the morning trip eastbound. Either way you pay the same number of tolls per round trip: one.
A driver running errands in Manhattan and returning to New Jersey pays the toll only on the way into Manhattan. The return trip is free. This makes the GWB attractive for one-way trips into Manhattan even when the eastbound toll feels steep.
Westbound Approach Routes
From Manhattan, the westbound approach is via the Henry Hudson Parkway (south of the bridge) or the Cross-Bronx Expressway / I-95 (north and east of the bridge). The Trans-Manhattan Expressway is the connector that brings I-95 onto the GWB westbound deck.
Westbound, you can choose the upper or lower level by lane positioning ahead of the bridge entrance. Both levels exit into Fort Lee, New Jersey at the same interchange, where I-95, I-80, US 46, and the Palisades Interstate Parkway connect. Upper vs lower level details.
Westbound Traffic Patterns
Westbound congestion is heaviest weekday afternoons from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM as commuters head out of Manhattan. The morning westbound flow is lighter. Friday afternoons can see significant westbound delays as weekend travellers leave the city, often extending the rush hour through 8:00 PM.
None of this congestion costs you anything in tolls. Westbound is free regardless of how slow the traffic is.
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I pay a toll going west on the George Washington Bridge?
No. There is no westbound toll on the George Washington Bridge. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, and every other vehicle cross westbound (from New York into New Jersey) free of charge, at every time of day, every day of the year. The full toll is collected eastbound only.
Is the GWB westbound really free for trucks too?
Yes. The free westbound policy applies to every vehicle class. A 6-axle truck that pays $136.02 eastbound peak with E-ZPass pays $0 westbound. The Port Authority offsets the lost westbound revenue by charging the full round-trip toll eastbound at the single crossing.
Why is the westbound GWB toll free?
All Port Authority interstate crossings switched to one-way (eastbound-only) toll collection in 1970. Doubling the per-crossing rate eastbound and dropping westbound to zero cut the number of vehicles passing toll plazas in half, reducing congestion. Revenue stayed roughly the same because the eastbound rate doubled.
Are westbound peak hours charged any differently?
There is no westbound charge, so peak/off-peak does not apply westbound. Peak/off-peak only affects eastbound E-ZPass tolls. Westbound is free at 6 AM, at 6 PM, at midnight, on weekdays, on weekends, on holidays, all the time.
If I cross westbound to get to Newark Airport, do I pay anything?
No GWB toll. Westbound is free. Depending on your route after exiting the GWB you may pay tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike for the segment between exit 73 and exit 14 (Newark Airport), but that is a separate New Jersey Turnpike Authority toll, not a Port Authority GWB toll.