Rendering of one of the proposed redesign schemes from NYSDOT.
Back in February, AllWaysNY highlighted some of the roadblocks facing the New York State Department of Transportation’s plans to demolish and replace the almost 70-year-old Kosciuszko Bridge. The New York State Historic Preservation Office had raised questions about the destruction of the current bridge and suggested that the current span be reincorporated into the new design. The NYSHPO believed that the bridge represented an interesting variation of the Warren truss type bridge, and asked the DOT to justify the demolition–preventing the DOT from finalizing its plans.
Last week the NYSHPO dropped its objections to the demolition. It seems that upgrading the current Kosciuszko to meet 21st century highway safety requirements would have so altered its features that it was not worth preserving the structure.
With the last few regulatory hurdles passed, demolition and construction to upgrade and replace the one-mile portion of the BQE that contains the bridge, roughly from the LIE/BQE interchange in Queens to Morgan Avenue in Brooklyn, will begin around 2011.
