PHOTO BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH
Protestors march across the Brooklyn Bridge as part of rally calling
for Governor Cuomo to stop the proposed Williams Pipeline on April
18.
Brooklyn Bridge
renovations set
to start this fall
BY ALEJANDRA
O’CONNELL-DOMENECH
Renovation work on the Brooklyn
Bridge is scheduled to begin this
fall, according to the Department
of Transportation.
The agency recently awarded a
$328.3 million contract to New York
City-based construction companies
Navillus and MLJ contracting to repoint
the bridge’s two towers and replace
walls and facades along both the
Manhattan and Brooklyn approaches,
which have become dilapidated over
the last 125 years, as well as marred by
graffi ti. Navillus confi rmed that work
would begin in September.
As part of the facade renovations,
the supportive archways along the
Brooklyn Bridge’s Manhattan approach
will be repointed, eroded red bricks
will be replaced and new operable
stainless-steel doors and decorative
angled slats resembling windows will
be installed. Behind the brick facades,
new reinforced concrete walls will be
constructed. Any original remaining
railings, stairs, signage and other related
infrastructure too deteriorated to
repair will be removed.
The majority of the work planned on
the bridge’s Brooklyn side is repointing
on archways. The span’s towers will
also be repointed, plus receive reinforcing
bars to secure granite blocks within
its Gothic arches.
D.O.T. plans on improving drainage
and restoring adjacent sidewalks along
the bridge approaches, as well. The entire
restoration process will be photographically
documented.
The project’s focus is on “meeting
today’s codes and standards with preservation
strategies in retaining and extending
the life of the bridge’s iconic
appearance,” a D.O.T. spokesperson
stated.
In July, the city’s Landmarks Preservation
Commission approved the
agency’s restoration plan for the bridge,
which was completed in 1883 and landmarked
in 1967.
The bridge work is expected to continue
through 2023, with no closures to
the bridge’s walkway anticipated, while
travel lane closures will be limited, according
to D.O.T.
10 August 8, 2019 CNW Schneps Media