Saturday, February 22, 2014

Transportation projects delayed

From the Queens Courier:

Ridgewood residents were hopeful that reconstruction of the Metropolitan Avenue Bridge would finally start this spring, but it’s been delayed again.

The path, which is elevated over LIRR tracks where Metropolitan Avenue intersects Fresh Pond Road, carries major truck traffic and is long overdue for repairs. In 2007, city officials informed Community Board (CB) 5 it was in danger of collapse.

Financial troubles delayed its original reconstruction start date back in 2009, and at a recent CB 5 Transportation Committee meeting, it was said that it’s been pushed back yet again, because the project has to undergo review and redesign.

Developers are now considering building an abutment, eliminating one track under the bridge, to help the building process.

There is also the Grand Street Bridge project, which connects Maspeth to Brooklyn over Newtown Creek.

The 111-year-old bridge is so narrow that it can’t support two-way traffic, although it is a two-way span, with all the big rigs and city buses that traverse it. The new bridge would cost about $50 million.

The plan for a new bridge was ready to go when Sandy struck in 2012 and flooded the area. Now plans are being redesigned to meet new flood regulations.

Besides the bridges, major street rebuilding plans have also been set back.

3 comments:

J said...

who the fuck needs bridges,why don't we ask the swell lady at broadway stages to get her film producers to blow them up,then she and her sleazebag husband can get more boathouses around the waterways and continue to profit off "green" causes,we will just ferry over no matter how big or small the waterways are.

I think they neglected to maintain all these bridges because we were suppose to have hovercars by now.The Jetsons lied to them and us.

Anonymous said...

The city is big on fining people for doing or not doing something. When it comes to something the city itself is responsible who gets fined?

Anonymous said...

Who gets fined when the city doesn't do something? The locals who are deprived of a service.