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Kosciuszko Bridge

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Kosciuszko Bridge
Kosciuszko Bridge viewed from the end of Maspeth Avenue, Brooklyn
Coordinates40°43′40″N 73°55′45″W / 40.7278°N 73.9292°W / 40.7278; -73.9292
CarriesBrooklyn-Queens Expressway (I-278)
CrossesNewtown Creek
LocaleBrooklyn and Queens, in New York City
Maintained byNew York State Department of Transportation
Characteristics
Designtruss bridge
Total length6,021 feet (1,835 m)
Longest span300 feet (91 m)
Clearance below125 feet (38 m)
History
Opened1939
Statistics
Daily traffic170,000
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Location
Map

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 Penny Bridge, 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.[1] Two of the bridge towers are surmounted with eagles, one is the Polish eagle, and the other the American eagle.[2]

The bridge as seen from the upstream Queens side

The bridge is planned to be replaced by 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.[3] 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.[4]

The bridge can be seen in the background of the funeral scene near the end of The Godfather.

See also

  • Thaddeus Kosciusko Bridge, twin bridges that span the Mohawk River, joining the towns of Colonie and Halfmoon, near Albany, New York.

References

  1. ^ Mooney, Jake (February 13, 2009). "Plans and Wary Neighbors for an Icon of Gridlock". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  2. ^ Rafferty, Brian (April 5, 2007). "Bridge Plan Up For Public Approval". Queens Tribune. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
  3. ^ Angelos, James (April 10, 2009). "Uneasily Contemplating the Arrival of a Spiffy Newcomer". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  4. ^ Newman, Andy (February 18, 2010). "A Tired Old Bridge Gets a New Look. No, Four of Them". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-02-19.