Second Span of New Kosciuszko Bridge to Open Thursday

NEW YORK (Hamodia/AP) —
Kosciuszko Bridge
Gov. Cuomo with construction workers on the bridge. (Office of Gov. Cuomo)

The second span of the new Kosciuszko Bridge between Brooklyn and Queens will open to traffic early Thursday morning. It was finished four years ahead of schedule and under budget, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.

“With the opening of the second span of the new Kosciuszko Bridge, we will once again demonstrate to the nation that it’s possible to take on big projects and to get them done on time and on budget,” said Gov. Andrew, who toured the site Sunday.

The public will get a chance to bike or walk over the new bridge Wednesday, from noon to 6 p.m.

The bridge will have two new state-of-the-art, cable-stayed bridges, one Queens-bound and one Brooklyn-bound. The Queens-bound bridge will carry five lanes of traffic and a separate Brooklyn-bound bridge will carry four lanes, as well as a 20-feet-wide bikeway/walkway with spectacular views of Manhattan. Shoulders have been added to both bridges, where none currently exist.

The roadway incline has also been lowered by approximately 35 feet, making it easier for trucks and other large vehicles to maintain consistent speeds on the bridge – helping reduce traffic congestion. It’s expected to handle 200,000 drivers per day.

The $873 million project is the first major bridge built in New York City since the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in 1964. The original Kosciuszko Bridge opened in 1939.

Kosciuszko Bridge
(Office of Gov. Cuomo)
Kosciuszko Bridge
Gov. Cuomo placing his handprints on the new bridge. (Office of Gov. Cuomo)
Kosciuszko Bridge
(Office of Gov. Cuomo)

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