New York moves to correct decades-old bridge typo

Oct. 2 (UPI) -- The governor of New York has signed a bill designed to correct a decades-old typo and fix the spelling of a bridge named for Giovanni da Verrazzano.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he signed a bill Monday to change the spelling of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Brooklyn and Staten Island, to contain the extra "z" in the name of the Italian explorer who arrived at New York Harbor in 1524.

"The Verrazzano Bridge is a vital transportation artery for millions of Staten Island and Brooklyn residents," Cuomo said in a statement. "We are correcting this decades-old misspelling out of respect to the legacy of the explorer and to New York's heritage."

The legislation will correct the spelling on signs as well as in a number of state statutes related to the bridge.

A statue of Verrazzano in Manhattan already features the correct spelling, as does a bridge over Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay.