A series of choke points providing entry and exits to the Brooklyn Bridge are nearing completion, including a ramp that connects Brooklyn-bound lanes to Cadman Plaza West and Old Fulton Street in Brooklyn Heights.
The New York Times reports that three ramps are just about finished, also including one connecting the bridge’s exit from the Manhattan-bound lanes with the FDR Drive, expanded to two lanes from one; and a third linking the southbound drive with the approach to the bridge’s Brooklyn-bound lanes, also expanded to two lanes from one.
State Senator Daniel L. Squadron, who has pressed for the renovations, tells the Times that commute times have already been significantly reduced: “I don’t think there’s anything more relaxing in the City of New York right now than that nice, smooth trip across the Brooklyn Bridge.”
The changes are part of a $508M project that began in 2010 to repaint the bridge and improve approach ramps. Of the city’s 788 bridges, the DOT says only the Brooklyn Bridge—which hosts 120,000 vehicles, 4,000 pedestrians and 3,100 cyclists every day—has any remaining components listed as “poor” by the state’s ranking system. After the renovations, officials say the bridge will be fully restored to a state of good repair. (Photo: Jeff Saltzman)
