cross over Winchester Boulevard and westbound Grand Central traffic over the Cross Island Parkway. On June 13, 1939, bids for construction of the new interchange between the Laurelton Parkway, Southern State Parkway and construction of the new parkway between Linden Boulevard and 129th Avenue. Landscaping of the new parkway began around September, when topsoiling and gardening began between the Creedmore State Hospital and Laurelton Parkway. By December, 92% of the landscaping contracts had been announced, with the recent section between the Grand Central Parkway and Fort Totten. Opening While construction continued on the Belt Parkway system, including the Cross Island Parkway, construction was wrapping up on construction of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, which opened with a ceremony on April 29, 1939. LaGuardia and Moses both praised the construction of the Cross Island Parkway as the important part of the Whitestone side of the new bridge. By 1940, final bids on the new project were still coming in for the Belt Parkway projects, which included a contract let on April 17, 1940 for new fencing along the three parkways. Ross Galvanizing Works in Brooklyn won the contract for fencing between North Conduit Avenue and the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge along the Southern, Laurelton and Cross Island. On May 22, 1940, a contract was let to Frank Mascali and Sons, which paved, drained, filled and graded sections of the Cross Island Parkway between the Grand Central and the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge. Two hundred construction workers formally toured the parkway on June 8, 1940. It was announced that the entire Belt Parkway system, long, would open to traffic on June 29, 1940, with a ceremonial trip along the entire roadway. With a final total of nearly $30 million (1940 USD), the road was complete except for a portion between Plumb Island and Ocean Parkway near Coney Island. The due date on the Public Works Administration funding, set for June 30, 1940, was met, and the new parkway would have Moses, LaGuardia and the administrator of the PWA, John Carmody. The new parkway was groomed overnight by 1,700 workers to prepare for the opening. The general public was allowed to use the new parkway after the special dignitaries car had passed. The project also included the addition or renovation of several playgrounds and public parks, such as Crocheron Park. Later years In 1952, the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority awarded a $920,000 contract to widen about of the