LIRR overpasses need to be overhauled

From the Queens Courier:

The 94th Street at 45th Avenue bridge and four other bridges that cross over Long Island Railroad (LIRR) tracks – 51st Avenue at 21st Street, 55 Avenue at 85th Street, 167 Street at Depot Road, and 216 Street at 42nd Avenue – have been considered by the Department of Transportation (DOT) for rehabilitation since 2006. These bridges are under DOT jurisdiction because they connect city street space, even though they go over LIRR tracks.

However, of these bridges only the 51st Avenue bridge in Long Island City has entered a final design stage, said a spokesperson for the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC).

At first glance the 51st Avenue bridge appears not to be in such bad shape. However, a DOT spokesperson said that in an internal rating system, that includes many structural elements that might not be visible to a pedestrian or are only visible from the topside, determined that this bridge at 51st Street was a replacement priority.

Progress on the other bridges, however, has been slow.