Help is on the way for disintegrating Kosciuszko Bridge
Accident rates between five and 30 times the statewide average
The Kosciuszko Bridge is crumbling, and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce says the state’s move to accelerate a massive repair project is vital to Brooklyn’s economic growth. Groundbreaking on the new bridge has been moved up to the fall, a full 18 months earlier than originally planned.
This $800 million project represents the largest single infrastructure project under Governor Cuomo´s NY Works initiative, and roughly 85 percent of that will be federally funded.
A report by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan) found that the Kosciuszko ranked at the bottom of the list by the state during inspections, with an increasing number of traffic accidents and delays.
The bridge received 49 flags during its most recent inspection by the NYS Department of Transportation, 21 more flags than the 28 it received in 2007. Flags are issued when repairs are needed or conditions may affect the long-term durability of the bridge.