By Sarah Tobol
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

DUMBO — Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass is something DUMBO residents can finally realize as they enjoy the cleared Archway that links the two sides of the bridge’s anchorage. For at least 20 years the passage had been blocked by equipment and materials stored there by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

The passage has been open for a little over a year as work continued to make it more attractive, and it will be declared formally open later this fall.

“We worked with the city to roll back the gates immediately,� said Kate Kerrigan, executive director of the Dumbo Improvement District, so the public could start passing through and get used to the space.

Once the materials were cleared out and the gates were lifted, the neighborhood got to work. With no budget, construction on the Archway was improved on a donation basis, with various pieces contributed by businesses in Brooklyn and the city at large.

DUMBO-based Two Trees Management Co. removed the old asphalt covering the ground underneath the Archway, exposing old Belgian blocks that were in great shape. The city restored the Belgian blocks and built sidewalks along the sides of the passageway.

“The design [of the restoration] is minimal,� said Kerrigan of the plan by Rogers Marvel Architects. It consists of several wooden benches held up by black metal beams, which lead to upward-pointing spotlights. The metal beams are recycled from the original materials stored in the space by the DOT.

Brooklyn-based Jim Conti Lighting Design installed the spotlights, which were city-owned. Electrical engineering work was completed by Manhattan-based Ettinger Engineering Associates. The wooden benches were donated by local resident and DUMBO business owner Tom Sternal, and are an original design of his father.

Kerrigan’s vision when taking on this project was “to create a space that could be used passively throughout the day as a plaza... [and a] spectacular gathering place for neighborhood events.� So far, it has held up to expectations.

DUMBO residents and workers often eat their lunches on the benches in the Archway, people walk and bike through its passageway, and Kerrigan has even seen a game of ultimate Frisbee. This reporter saw a bride and groom photographed under the arch.

Since being opened to the public, the Archway has been the setting for DUMBO Fight Night, the Brooklyn Flea, and various art installations and events. Kerrigan hopes to eventually find a green market for the space.

With the B, D, N and Q trains traveling over the Manhattan Bridge, the noise can be disruptive, but Kerrigan explained that on nights and weekends the trains pass less frequently, and during events, music can cancel out some of the noise.

The Archway isn’t just a place for gathering and events, it’s also a reclamation of open space. Kerrigan explained that one way to build a more sustainable city is to recapture open space. If you stand at a point under the Archway and look east, you can see almost to the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

“We’re programming the Archway to work in relationship with the Pearl Street Triangle. Together with the Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian Walkway, the three adapted sites create a trifecta of open space, welcoming pedestrians and encouraging them to get to know DUMBO,� Kerrigan said.

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