20 THE QUEENS COURIER • APRIL 28, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com The 107-year-old Queensboro Bridge will receive $244 million in funding for repairs BY ANGELA MATUA [email protected]/@AngelaMatua The decades-old bridge that connects Sciatica Pain? WE NOW HAVE COLD LASER Do You Have SCIATICA Or Its Symptoms? • Low Back, Buttock, Leg Pain • Leg, Low Back Weakness • Burning or Shooting Pains in Legs • Difficulty Walking • Numbness/ Tingling in Lower Back or Legs • Stiffness or Fatigue in Legs • Tender Points on Lower Back or Legs Therapy can begin today. Call Now. *Most Insurances Accepted. FREE CONSULTATION With this ad. Within 30 days • Physical Therapy • Chiropractic • Occupational Therapy • Acupuncture • Hydromassage • Cold Laser North Shore Rehab Associates 55 Northern Blvd. Suite 103 516-466-9300 Great Neck, N.Y. 11021 Long Island City and 59th Street in Manhattan will get a major facelift under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s new budget plan. Built in 1909, the Queensboro Bridge was designed by civil engineer Leffert L. Buck and architect Henry Hornbostel. It underwent extensive renovations in 1987 that lasted until 2012 and came at a cost of $300 million. Offi cially renamed the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge in 2010 after the former mayor, the city will now replace the upper span’s bridge deck in both directions, which is reaching the end of its useful life. The Department of Transportation (DOT) will also conduct a traffi c study on the bridge, which is the busiest in the city and sees more than 230,000 riders a day, according to a 2013 DOT study. The work, which will cost $244 million, is set to begin in fi scal year 2017 and the fi nalizing of the design contract has just begun. Though the bridge is currently free, elected offi cials and transit advocates are proposing to add $8 tolls or $5.54 tolls with E-ZPass as part of the Move NY Fair Plan. According to advocates for the plan, the addition of tolls on East River bridges would generate $1.35 billion annually to help pay for infrastructure improvements. “Investing in our infrastructure is a down payment on many accounts: maintaining a state of good repair, improving safety and boosting the economy,” de Blasio said. “The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, one of the city’s iconic bridges spanning the East River, will benefi t from this necessary funding and continue its role effectively moving hundreds of thousands of people daily.” Overall, the DOT is receiving $289 million in new funds for the rehabilitation of the city’s 789 bridges and the city will look to make sure that no bridge will have a “poor” condition rating through fi scal year 2022.
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