New Roadways To Replace Outdated Kosciuszko Bridge
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Soaring over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, like a beacon of hope for beaten commuters, are two new bridges built to replace the 76-year-old Kosciuszko Bridge.
The new bridges will be built in two parts. The first, already well underway, is set to be completed by the end of 2017, CBS2's Steve Langford reported. The new Brooklyn-bound bridge is scheduled to be completed by 2020.
The old six-lane bridge was constructed before the BQE was even built. The new Queens-bound bridge will have five lanes, while the new Brooklyn bridge will have four. The goal is to eliminate the steep incline of the old span that slowed traffic to a crawl.
"It's going to lower the bridge and flatten that curve and that will allow trucks to maintain their speed,"" Sonia Pichardo, of the Department of Transportation, said.
When the first bridge is completed, it alone will be able to accommodate the same amount of traffic the original bridge has, while the second bridge is under construction.
Officials said the new bridges will cost a total of about $800 million.