- Kosciuszko Bridge (New York City)
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For the twin bridges carrying Interstate 87 over the Mohawk river, see Thaddeus Kosciusko Bridge.
Kosciuszko Bridge 
Kosciuszko Bridge viewed from the end of Maspeth Avenue, BrooklynCarries Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (I-278) Crosses Newtown Creek Locale Brooklyn and Queens, in New York City Maintained by New York State Department of Transportation Design truss bridge Total length 6,021 feet (1,835 m) Longest span 300 feet (91 m) Clearance below 125 feet (38 m) Opened 1939 Daily traffic 181,783 (2008)[1] Coordinates 40°43′40″N 73°55′45″W / 40.72777°N 73.92920°WCoordinates: 40°43′40″N 73°55′45″W / 40.72777°N 73.92920°W The Kosciuszko Bridge is a truss bridge that spans Newtown Creek between the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, connecting Greenpoint, Brooklyn and Maspeth, Queens. It is a part of Interstate 278, which is also locally known as the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The bridge opened in 1939, replacing the Penny Bridge from Meeker Avenue in Brooklyn to Review Avenue and Laurel Hill Boulevard, and is the only bridge over Newtown Creek that is not a drawbridge. It was named in honor of Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish volunteer who was a General in the American Revolutionary War.[2] Two of the bridge towers are surmounted with eagles, one is the Polish eagle, and the other the American eagle.[3]
The bridge as seen from the upstream Queens side
Plans are underway to replace the current structure with a new nine-lane bridge, which will consist of two eastbound spans and one westbound span, and it will include a bike path and a walkway.[4] Four designs are currently under consideration for the new structure, which include a cable-stayed bridge, a through arch bridge, a box girder bridge and a deck arch bridge. Construction is expected to begin in 2014.[5]
The bridge can be seen in the background of the funeral scene near the end of The Godfather.
References
- ^ "New York City Bridge Traffic Volumes 2008" (PDF). New York City Department of Transportation. March 2010. p. 97. http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/bridgetrafrpt08.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
- ^ Mooney, Jake (February 13, 2009). "Plans and Wary Neighbors for an Icon of Gridlock". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/13/nyregion/thecity/13brid.html. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
- ^ Rafferty, Brian (April 5, 2007). "Bridge Plan Up For Public Approval". Queens Tribune. http://www.queenstribune.com/news/1175812140.html. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
- ^ Angelos, James (April 10, 2009). "Uneasily Contemplating the Arrival of a Spiffy Newcomer". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/nyregion/thecity/12brid.html. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ Newman, Andy (February 18, 2010). "A Tired Old Bridge Gets a New Look. No, Four of Them.". The New York Times. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/a-tired-old-bridge-gets-a-new-look-no-four-of-them/. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
External links
- New York State Department of Transportation Kosciuszko Bridge Project
- NYCRoads.com Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
Categories:- Transportation in Brooklyn
- Transportation in Queens
- Truss bridges
- Interstate 78
- Buildings and structures in Queens
- Bridges in New York City
- Bridges completed in 1939
- Road bridges in New York
- United States bridge (structure) stubs
- New York City building and structure stubs
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