Metal-and-concrete shields that are supposed to protect the Kosciuszko Bridge from terrorists are being held together by nylon straps — following claims that the job was botched by an allegedly crooked contractor, The Post has learned.
Photos shot by The Post show that the shields surrounding all 56 cables on the Queens-bound side of the bridge appear to have been reinforced with black strapping, with some shields also showing discoloration where other staps were replaced.
A federal suit filed earlier this year alleged the anti-terror armor was plagued by “aggressive corrosion” and “severe delamination and separation of the parts” that posed “a severe and imminent threat to public safety, the implications of which cannot be overstated.”
The Post counted a total of 339 black ratchet straps cinched around the two-part shields, some of which had lengthwise gaps between the pieces that were nearly 2 inches wide.
One device was being secured with 14 straps, and several shields were marked by a white, chalky buildup around their lower edges.
Repairs also appeared to have been made along at least one cable, with the gaps in the armor filled in with some sort of caulking.
The conditions on the bridge — which was replaced last year at a cost of $873 million — appeared worse than in March, when The Post revealed that three metal straps had been installed around one of the shields.
