First span of new Kosciuszko Bridge to open this month

TIN news:  The Government of New York in the US will be opening the first span of the new Kosciuszko Bridge on 27 April, allowing traffic in both directions until the completion of the second span.

The Kosciuszko Bridge is reported to be the first major bridge built in New York City since the Verrazano Bridge in 1964.

The new bridge will be replacing the 78-year-old bridge with two new state-of-the-art, cable-stayed bridges, one Queens-bound and one Brooklyn-bound.

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYDOT) has constructed the Queens-bound bridge as part of the $555m Phase I project and will be adding three traffic lanes in each direction until the completion of Phase II.

The new bridge is expected to be useful for nearly 200,000 commuters who will be using this bridge on a daily basis.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo said: "The Empire State is undertaking the most ambitious infrastructure program in the nation, and the new Kosciuszko Bridge will be an iconic New York structure for generations to come.

"The new bridge, the first major New York City Bridge to open in more than 50 years, will bring much-needed relief to commuters and be a spectacular addition to the New York City skyline.

“It is a vibrant symbol of how the state is not just talking about moving vital infrastructure projects forward, but actually getting them done and restoring New York’s tradition of excellence."

The governor further explained that the opening of the bridge will be marked with a light show that will be coordinated to music airing on multiple iHeartRadio stations.

The light show is the first performance in ‘The New York Harbor of Lights’ that will illuminate crossings with multi-colour LED light shows that will be coordinated with the lights of the Empire State Building.

In order to provide a clear way for carrying out the Phase II constructions works, the government plans to bring down two major sections of the old bridge in May, seven months ahead of schedule.

The move by the government would enable the opening of the Brooklyn-bound span to early 2020, four years ahead of schedule.

The final configuration of the Queens-bound bridge will feature five lanes of traffic and a separate Brooklyn-bound bridge that will carry four lanes, as well as a 20ft wide bikeway/walkway, and an addition of shoulders to both bridges.

In order to facilitate quick truck movement on the bridge, the authorities have decided to lower the roadway incline by nearly 35ft.