86-724: The Kosciuszko Bridge ( / ˌ k ɒ z i ˈ ʊ s k oʊ , ˌ k ɒ ʒ i ˈ ʊ ʃ k oʊ / KOZ -ee- UUSK -oh, KOZH -ee- UUSH -koh ), originally known as the Meeker Avenue Bridge, is a cable-stayed bridge over Newtown Creek in New York City , connecting Greenpoint in Brooklyn to Maspeth in Queens . The bridge consists of a pair of cable-stayed bridge spans: the eastbound span opened in April 2017, while
172-460: A 2-span or 3-span cable-stayed bridge, the loads from the main spans are normally anchored back near the end abutments by stays in the end spans. For more spans, this is not the case and the bridge structure is less stiff overall. This can create difficulties in both the design of the deck and the pylons. Examples of multiple-span structures in which this is the case include Ting Kau Bridge , where additional 'cross-bracing' stays are used to stabilise
258-446: A comprehensive statement of the expense and capital budget priorities and needs, evaluate the progress of capital developments and the quality and quantity of services provided by agencies, and otherwise consider the needs of the borough. Each of the fifty-nine community districts has a community board composed of up to 50 volunteer members appointed by the local borough president , half from nominations by Council members representing
344-562: A fan-like pattern or a series of parallel lines. This is in contrast to the modern suspension bridge , where the cables supporting the deck are suspended vertically from the main cable, anchored at both ends of the bridge and running between the towers. The cable-stayed bridge is optimal for spans longer than cantilever bridges and shorter than suspension bridges. This is the range within which cantilever bridges would rapidly grow heavier, and suspension bridge cabling would be more costly. Cable-stayed bridges were being designed and constructed by
430-523: A four-year term, whose duty it is to prosecute all crimes and offenses cognizable by the courts of the county. There is also a sixth DA, the Office of the Special Prosecutor for Narcotics , who is unelected, but appointed by the five elected DAs. The Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library are public library systems within their respective boroughs. The New York Public Library
516-470: A maximum of 950–1150 registered voters). The law also allows the election of assembly district leaders. The political parties' county executive committees typically select candidates for local offices, to be ratified by the full county committees. Many small parties do not have county committees and designate candidates at the state level. The political parties' judicial nominating conventions select candidate New York Supreme Court justices. Candidates for
602-523: A mayor who has become unable to serve. There are also numerous commissions, boards, tribunals and offices that are independent of the mayor's office. Legislative power in the City of New York is vested in the New York City Council . The New York State Constitution empowers local governments to adopt local laws in addition to ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations. The Council
688-534: A month to comment on the bridge project, in addition to the Matinecocks and the Canarsies. Following the opening of the westbound bridge, bicyclists' advocacy groups pointed out that there was not enough bike infrastructure connecting to either end of the bridge, especially since both ends were in primarily industrial neighborhoods. The city planned to install short, on-street bike lanes leading to both ends of
774-505: A project to reinforce the concrete piers began. It was completed in 1999. In 2000, a project to improve the structural system was completed. In 2005, a pavement rehab project was completed, also included as part of this project was deck and ramp repairs. The 1939 bridge, which was meant to serve 10,000 vehicles per day, carried 18 times that amount of traffic when it became part of the Interstate Highway System . It
860-701: A set of plaques dedicated to Tadeusz Kościuszko were dedicated on the bridge. In 2008, it was discovered that two Native American tribes indigenous to Queens, the Matinecocks and the Canarsies , were not informed of the bridge replacement project under federal law. The Delaware Nation , in Oklahoma , and the Stockbridge-Munsee , in Wisconsin , both originally native to New York City, were given
946-503: A small section of the LIE was reconstructed near its interchange with the BQE, between Van Dam Street and Maurice Avenue. Because of this, the original bridge's sidewalks were removed to make way for a widened roadway. All of these projects were completed in 1967, and also included the installation of a median barrier, replacement of the concrete deck, and other miscellaneous improvements. In 1996,
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#17327734096361032-560: A true cable-stayed bridge in the United States is E.E. Runyon's largely intact steel or iron Bluff Dale Suspension bridge with wooden stringers and decking in Bluff Dale, Texas (1890), or his weeks earlier but ruined Barton Creek Bridge between Huckabay, Texas and Gordon, Texas (1889 or 1890). In the twentieth century, early examples of cable-stayed bridges included A. Gisclard's unusual Cassagnes bridge (1899), in which
1118-599: A two consecutive-term limit . The court system consists of two citywide courts and three statewide courts. New York City's government employs approximately 330,000 people, more than any other city in the United States and more than any U.S. state but three: California , Texas , and New York . The city government is responsible for public education, correctional institutions, public safety, recreational facilities, sanitation, water supply, and welfare services. New York City consists of five boroughs , each coextensive with one of five counties of New York State : Brooklyn
1204-551: A year after opening, the bridge was renamed after Polish military leader and Grand Duchy of Lithuania Tadeusz Kościuszko , who fought alongside the Americans in the American Revolutionary War . In 2014, a contract was awarded and work begun to build one of two replacement bridges with more capacity, with the first bridge initially carrying bidirectional traffic. The replacement bridges have the same name as
1290-489: Is "perhaps the city's most notorious [bridge], hated and feared by drivers and synonymous in traffic reports with bottlenecks, stop-and-go and general delay." The bridges would reduce delays by up to 65% during rush hours, as well as provide a new pedestrian/bicycle connection between the boroughs. On December 4, 2014, work began on the eastbound bridge, which entailed temporarily narrowing the Meeker Avenue entrance on
1376-502: Is Kings County, the Bronx is Bronx County, Manhattan is New York County, Queens is Queens County, and Staten Island is Richmond County. When New York City was consolidated into its present form in 1898, all previous town and county governments within it were abolished in favor of the present five boroughs and a unified, centralized city government. However, each county retains its own district attorney to prosecute crimes, and most of
1462-414: Is a unicameral body consisting of 51 Council members, whose districts are defined by geographic population boundaries that each contain approximately 157,000 people. Council members are elected every four years, except that after every census held in years divisible by twenty, districts are redrawn, requiring two consecutive two-year terms, the second of which is held in the redrawn districts. The Speaker of
1548-616: Is a cable-stayed bridge with a more substantial bridge deck that, being stiffer and stronger, allows the cables to be omitted close to the tower and for the towers to be lower in proportion to the span. The first extradosed bridges were the Ganter Bridge and Sunniberg Bridge in Switzerland. The first extradosed bridge in the United States, the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge was built to carry I-95 across
1634-415: Is a private, non-governmental library serving the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, that receives government funding. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) provides public housing for low- and moderate-income residents. NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, or HHC) operates public hospitals and clinics. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
1720-406: Is done, the tension in the cables increases, as it does with the live load of traffic crossing the bridge. The tension on the main cables is transferred to the ground at the anchorages and by downwards compression on the towers. In cable-stayed bridges, the towers are the primary load-bearing structures that transmit the bridge loads to the ground. A cantilever approach is often used to support
1806-567: Is organized under the New York City Charter and provides for a mayor-council system . The mayor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for the administration of city government. The New York City Council is a unicameral body consisting of 51 members, each elected from a geographic district , normally for four-year terms. Primary elections for local offices use ranked choice voting , while general elections use plurality voting . All elected officials are subject to
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#17327734096361892-548: Is superior to the older forms of municipal legislation such as ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations. The codified local laws of New York City are contained in the New York City Administrative Code . The Council has several committees with oversight of various functions of the city government. Each council member sits on at least three standing, select or subcommittees. The standing committees meet at least once per month. The Speaker of
1978-418: Is the chief executive officer of the city and a magistrate , appoints and removes all unelected officers and exercises all the powers vested in the city except otherwise provided by law, and is responsible for the effectiveness and integrity of city government operations. The mayor is directly elected by popular vote for a four-year term. The mayor is also responsible for creating the city's budget through
2064-779: Is the city's economic development corporation . The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) manages the New York City Subway and MTA Regional Bus Operations through its arm the New York City Transit Authority . Despite this name, the NYCTA, like the rest of the MTA, was created by the New York State Legislature as a public-benefit corporation , which the legislature and governor of New York control. The MTA also operates
2150-539: The American Revolution . "1625", the date at the bottom, was chosen to emphasize the city's Dutch roots but has been characterized as "arbitrary" and "simply wrong" by notable city historians (New Amsterdam was actually settled in 1624). The flag of New York City was adopted in 1915. Its blue, white, and orange bands represent the colors of the Dutch flag that flew over the city, then New Amsterdam, between
2236-787: The New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget , submitted for approval, not drafting, to the Council. Along with the mayor, the Public Advocate and the Comptroller are the only three directly elected citywide officials in New York City. The Public Advocate is an elected official with responsibility to ease public relations with the government, investigate complaints regarding city agencies, mediate disputes between city agencies and citizens, serve as
2322-608: The Penobscot Narrows Bridge , completed in 2006, and the Veterans' Glass City Skyway , completed in 2007. A self-anchored suspension bridge has some similarity in principle to the cable-stayed type in that tension forces that prevent the deck from dropping are converted into compression forces vertically in the tower and horizontally along the deck structure. It is also related to the suspension bridge in having arcuate main cables with suspender cables, although
2408-729: The Staten Island Railway within Staten Island, as well as the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad , both of which are commuter lines that have termini in the city but run largely in the suburban counties of New York State and Connecticut. Other regional transportation is managed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , including the bridges and tunnels between New York City and New Jersey, and all airports and seaports within
2494-520: The 1817 footbridge Dryburgh Abbey Bridge , James Dredge 's patented Victoria Bridge, Bath (1836), and the later Albert Bridge (1872) and Brooklyn Bridge (1883). Their designers found that the combination of technologies created a stiffer bridge. John A. Roebling took particular advantage of this to limit deformations due to railway loads in the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge . The earliest known surviving example of
2580-658: The Brooklyn side of the new bridge. After that, Kelly began cutting away cofferdam bracings on the Queens side, at Laurel Hill Boulevard and Review Avenue. One of the tools he worked with was an underwater-operated cutting torch that burned oxygen, hydrogen, and compressed air. The new Bridge was formally opened to traffic on August 23, 1939. It was built at a cost of $ 6 million to $ 13 million (equal to between $ 131,000,000 and $ 285,000,000 in 2023 dollars). The Meeker Avenue Bridge's design and form were vastly different than
2666-423: The Brooklyn side on the bridge in order to widen it in the long run. Work was to take place in the daytime, temporarily causing more traffic congestion. By August 2015, the two pylons for the eastbound bridge, as well as part of the bridge structure, were under construction. The 287-foot-high (87 m) pylons were sunk 150 to 185 feet (46 to 56 m), with each pylon resting on four foundations at that depth. After
Kosciuszko Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
2752-538: The City of New York". Eboracum was the Roman name for York, the titular seat of James II as Duke of York . The two supporters represent the unity between Native Americans and colonists, the four windmill sails recall the city's Dutch history as New Amsterdam , and the beavers and flour barrels the city's earliest trade goods (see History of New York City ). The crest over the seal is the American eagle , added after
2838-534: The Council, selected by the 51 Council members, is often considered the second most powerful post in New York City's government after the Mayor. Bills passed by a simple majority are sent to the mayor, who may sign them into law. If the mayor vetoes a bill, the Council has 30 days to override the veto by a two-thirds majority vote. A local law has a status equivalent with a law enacted by the New York State Legislature (subject to certain exceptions and restrictions ), and
2924-573: The Council, the Majority Leader, and the Minority Leader are all ex officio members of every committee. Prior to 1990, the city also had a powerful Board of Estimate , a unique legislative-executive hybrid. Although it could not pass laws, it shared authority for the city budget with the council and controlled functions such as land use, municipal contracts, franchises, and water and sewer rates. The Board's membership consisted of
3010-531: The Criminal Court and Civil Court, respectively.) The Family Court of the State of New York is a family court that hears cases involving children and families. The Surrogate's Court of the State of New York is the probate court which oversees the probate of wills and administers estates. New York City is composed of five boroughs or counties, collectively comprising 59 community districts. Each of
3096-544: The Criminal Court and the Civil Court, and several statewide courts, the Supreme Court, Surrogate's Court, and Family Court. Unlike the rest of New York, New York City counties do not have a typical County Court. Each statewide court is located in each of New York City's five counties (boroughs). There are also numerous extrajudicial administrative courts such as OATH , which are executive agencies and not part of
3182-462: The Mayor, and numerous departments, boards and commissions. The Mayor also appoints several deputy mayors to head major offices within the executive branch of the city government. The City Record is the official journal published each weekday (except legal holidays) containing legal notices produced by city agencies, and regulations are compiled in the Rules of the City of New York . The Mayor
3268-587: The New York state and local courts' total filings. There are also several extrajudicial administrative courts, e.g. the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) adjudicates matters for city agencies unless otherwise provided for by law, and the city Parking Violations Bureau adjudicates parking violations. The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial court of general jurisdiction , which in New York City hears felony cases and major civil cases. (Lesser criminal and civil cases are heard in
3354-636: The Quinnipiac River in New Haven, Connecticut, opening in June 2012. A cradle system carries the strands within the stays from the bridge deck to bridge deck, as a continuous element, eliminating anchorages in the pylons. Each epoxy-coated steel strand is carried inside the cradle in a one-inch (2.54 cm) steel tube. Each strand acts independently, allowing for removal, inspection, and replacement of individual strands. The first two such bridges are
3440-424: The answer. In 2009, it was decided to replace the 1939 structure with a new bridge, which was to consist of a five-lane eastbound span, a four-lane westbound span, a bike path , and a walkway. Four designs were considered for the new structure: a cable-stayed bridge , a through arch bridge , a box girder bridge , and a deck arch bridge . The cable-stayed bridge design, selected after a public review process, made
3526-490: The approaches, which weigh a combined 22,000,000 pounds (10,000,000 kg). Afterward, construction started on the westbound bridge. Work progressed quickly, and in May 2019, Cuomo announced that the westbound bridge would open by that September. The opening date of the westbound bridge was later revised to August 29, 2019. The westbound bridge opened as scheduled on that date, though pedestrians and bicyclists were allowed to cross
Kosciuszko Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
3612-558: The bridge became the property of the city of Brooklyn and in 1898, upon consolidation, it was taken over by the Department of Bridges of the Greater City of New York. The bridge was later torn down when construction began on the 1939 bridge. By the mid-1920s, plans for another replacement of the Meeker Avenue bridge had already been suggested. However, funding for the new bridge was not allocated until 1938, though construction on
3698-410: The bridge deck near the towers, but lengths further from them are supported by cables running directly to the towers. That has the disadvantage, unlike for the suspension bridge, that the cables pull to the sides as opposed to directly up, which requires the bridge deck to be stronger to resist the resulting horizontal compression loads, but it has the advantage of not requiring firm anchorages to resist
3784-470: The bridge in April 2014 in preparation for the rebuilding, though twice the number of trees were to be replanted once the bridge's reconstruction was completed. On May 23, 2014, a $ 554.77 million design-build contract, for the construction of the eastbound span and demolition of the old bridge was awarded to a team consisting of Skanska , which will be managing partner; Ecco III of Yonkers ; Kiewit Corporation of Nebraska ; and HNTB of Kansas as
3870-402: The bridge to display light shows as a tourist attraction. At that time, five of six lanes of traffic were shifted to the new bridge, with a single lane of westbound traffic temporarily using the old bridge until the end of the month. The new bridge kept the same name as the original. Part of the original structure was set to be demolished by controlled explosion in summer 2017 so that work on
3956-566: The bridge was designated as part of I-278. In 1965, a project to widen the Kosciuszko Bridge and reconstruction of the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway (BQE) and Long Island Expressway (LIE) interchaages into rebuilt into an incomplete partial cloverleaf interchange , began, and would cost $ 32.7 million. The BQE was also being rebuilt from Cherry Street, at the Brooklyn end of the bridge, to Queens Boulevard , and
4042-501: The bridge, and La Guardia unveiled plaques that commemorated the new name. The mayor described President Franklin D. Roosevelt , like Kościuszko, as a "champion of liberty during a difficult period", referring to the World War II occupation of Poland by Germany . He also stated, "I am confident that Poland will live again. Any land that breeds such lovers of freedom can never be kept enslaved. The Polish people may be captive, but
4128-425: The bridge. In response, comptroller Scott Stringer said that there needed to be "protected bike lanes", completely segregated from traffic, on both sides of the bridge. Cable-stayed bridge A cable-stayed bridge has one or more towers (or pylons ), from which cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or stays , which run directly from the tower to the deck, normally forming
4214-417: The city's ombudsman and advise the mayor on community relations. The Public Advocate is a member of the Council. The Public Advocate stands first in line of succession to the mayoralty. The Comptroller conducts performance and financial audits of all city agencies, serves as a fiduciary to the city's five public pension funds totaling nearly $ 160 billion in assets, provides comprehensive oversight of
4300-414: The city's budget and fiscal condition, reviews city contracts for integrity, accountability and fiscal compliance, manages the fair, efficient and effective resolution of claims against the city, ensures transparency and accountability in the prevailing wage rate-setting process and enforces prevailing wage and living wage laws. The Comptroller stands second, after the Public Advocate, in the line to succeed
4386-479: The city. The Port Authority is an interstate compact operating agency jointly controlled by the Governor of New Jersey and Governor of New York . State Election Law defines the structure of political parties. It requires each party to have a state committee and allows them to organize county committees. The county committees are composed of at least two members elected from each election district (containing
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#17327734096364472-427: The citywide offices of mayor, comptroller and public advocate are designated jointly by the five county executive committees of each party. In most cases, insurgents who are party members can challenge party-designated candidates by petitioning for a primary election . The seal of New York City , adopted in an earlier form in 1686, bears the legend SIGILLVM CIVITATIS NOVI EBORACI , which means simply "The Seal of
4558-420: The community district ( i.e. , whose council districts cover part of the community district). Community boards advise on land use and zoning, participate in the city budget process, and address service delivery in their district. Community boards act in an advisory capacity, wielding no official authority to make or enforce laws. Each of the five counties of New York City elects a district attorney (DA) for
4644-554: The court system is organized around the counties. New York City is divided between two federal judicial districts. Bronx County and New York County are in the Southern District while Kings County, Queens County, and Richmond County are in the Eastern District , although both districts have concurrent jurisdiction over the waters in their respective districts. The executive branch of New York City consists of
4730-475: The day before. As part of the construction of the westbound span, it was announced that a 7-acre (2.8 ha) park would be built in the unused space beneath the Brooklyn approach, and would open in 2020. The park, to be named "Under the K", would contain four segments: a pathway called the Arm, a multi-use zone called K-flex 1, a performance space called K-flex 2, and a waterfront seating area called Creekside. In 2022,
4816-572: The design, the columns may be vertical or angled or curved relative to the bridge deck. A side-spar cable-stayed bridge uses a central tower supported only on one side. This design allows the construction of a curved bridge. Far more radical in its structure, the Puente del Alamillo (1992) uses a single cantilever spar on one side of the span, with cables on one side only to support the bridge deck. Unlike other cable-stayed types, this bridge exerts considerable overturning force upon its foundation and
4902-491: The eastbound bridge since the eastern section was longer and heavier. The new bridge was built to withstand a century's worth of traffic. The new eastbound bridge, which initially hosted both directions of traffic, opened ahead of schedule on April 27, 2017, with a ceremony attended by Governor Andrew Cuomo . The bridge is the first of several bridges citywide to feature an advanced lighting system – part of Governor Cuomo's "New York Harbor of Lights" initiative – which would allow
4988-423: The explosion date would be July 11. Instead, the main span of the bridge was lowered onto a barge, and the approaches would then be exploded. This updated plan was meant to be environmentally friendly since less of the bridge would be scattered into the creek below. At the time there was no date set for the actual demolition. The old bridge's main span was lowered onto two barges tied together, and on July 26, 2017,
5074-490: The first Meeker Avenue Bridge. The earlier was a swing drawbridge and carried a two-lane, 20-foot-wide (6.1 m) roadway and two sidewalks. The new bridge carried two three-lane concrete roadways each 32 feet (9.8 m) wide and separated by a 4-foot (1.2 m) median, as well as sidewalks. This new bridge structure contained 16,315 short tons (14,801 t) of steel, along with 88,120 cubic yards (67,370 m) of concrete masonry. The city government officially renamed
5160-826: The first of the modern type, but had little influence on later development. The steel-decked Strömsund Bridge designed by Franz Dischinger (1955) is, therefore, more often cited as the first modern cable-stayed bridge. Other key pioneers included Fabrizio de Miranda , Riccardo Morandi , and Fritz Leonhardt . Early bridges from this period used very few stay cables, as in the Theodor Heuss Bridge (1958). However, this involves substantial erection costs, and more modern structures tend to use many more cables to ensure greater economy. Cable-stayed bridges may appear to be similar to suspension bridges , but they are quite different in principle and construction. In suspension bridges, large main cables (normally two) hang between
5246-422: The five boroughs has an elected borough president . The borough presidents can have legislation introduced in the council, recommend capital projects, hold public hearings on matters of public interest, make recommendations to the mayor and to other city officials, make recommendations on land use and planning, and make recommendations regarding the performance of contracts providing for the delivery of services, in
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#17327734096365332-530: The flaming spirit of Polish liberty will never be destroyed." Two of the bridge towers were surmounted with eagles, one with the Polish eagle and the other the American eagle . A repaving project in 1958 temporarily made the bridge a one-way operation for five months. Only Queens-bound traffic was allowed during afternoons and evenings, while only Brooklyn-bound traffic was permitted at all other times. In 1960,
5418-524: The horizontal part of the cable forces is balanced by a separate horizontal tie cable, preventing significant compression in the deck, and G. Leinekugel le Coq's bridge at Lézardrieux in Brittany (1924). Eduardo Torroja designed a cable-stayed aqueduct at Tempul in 1926. Albert Caquot 's 1952 concrete-decked cable-stayed bridge over the Donzère-Mondragon canal at Pierrelatte is one of
5504-670: The horizontal pull of the main cables of the suspension bridge. By design, all static horizontal forces of the cable-stayed bridge are balanced so that the supporting towers do not tend to tilt or slide and so must only resist horizontal forces from the live loads. The following are key advantages of the cable-stayed form: There are four major classes of rigging on cable-stayed bridges: mono , harp , fan, and star . There are also seven main arrangements for support columns: single , double , portal , A-shaped , H-shaped , inverted Y and M-shaped . The last three are hybrid arrangements that combine two arrangements into one. Depending on
5590-497: The interests of the people of their borough. Each of the five boroughs has a borough board . They are composed of the borough president , Council members from the borough, and the chairperson of each community board in the borough. The borough boards can hold or conduct public or private hearings, adopt by-laws, prepare comprehensive and special purpose plans and make recommendations for land use and planning, mediate disputes and conflicts among two or more community boards, submit
5676-487: The late 16th century, and the form found wide use in the late 19th century. Early examples, including the Brooklyn Bridge , often combined features from both the cable-stayed and suspension designs. Cable-stayed designs fell from favor in the early 20th century as larger gaps were bridged using pure suspension designs, and shorter ones using various systems built of reinforced concrete . It returned to prominence in
5762-463: The later 20th century when the combination of new materials, larger construction machinery, and the need to replace older bridges all lowered the relative price of these designs. Cable-stayed bridges date back to 1595, where designs were found in Machinae Novae , a book by Croatian - Venetian inventor Fausto Veranzio . Many early suspension bridges were cable-stayed construction, including
5848-539: The lead design firm. It is the largest single contract ever awarded by the New York State Department of Transportation . The work involved building a new eastbound viaduct, which was completed in 2017; the existing eastbound structure would then be demolished. The westbound viaduct would then be completed by 2020. The new bridges are being built since the Kosciuszko Bridge is known as a notorious traffic bottleneck; according to The New York Times , it
5934-400: The main span was shipped to New Jersey to be recycled. This marked the completion of the first phase of the old bridge's demolition. The approaches to the former main span were demolished on October 1, 2017, with the detonation of 944 small explosive charges. This was the largest explosive demolition in New York City and the first of a bridge there. The state would recycle the twenty trusses from
6020-727: The mayor, comptroller, president of the City Council, and the five borough presidents . The three citywide officials each cast two votes, and the borough presidents one each. In 1989, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the Board of Estimate as violating the principle of "one man, one vote", due to the dramatically unequal numbers of constituents being represented by each borough president. The city subsequently adopted its current arrangement by referendum. The state court system in New York City has two citywide courts,
6106-464: The new bridge after Tadeusz Kościuszko , a Polish general in the American Revolutionary War , on July 10, 1940. On September 22, 1940, months after the conquest of Poland , Mayor Fiorello La Guardia led a renaming ceremony. The naming occurred in the presence of 15,000 people, mainly Polish-American residents and city and state government representatives, some stating that the spirit of Polish liberty would never die. There were parades at both ends of
6192-459: The new span began almost immediately. At this point, the 1894 span was permanently closed and subsequently dismantled. One person who helped build the new $ 1.5 million Meeker Avenue Bridge was John Kelly, a former Navy deep-sea diver from Greenpoint, Brooklyn . In 1938, he completed his task of building a cofferdam , a box-like structure made of 250 steel sheets. This enabled workmen to operate and build an underwater pier in dry surroundings on
6278-404: The new westbound bridge could begin soon after. This type of demolition, beginning with Governor Cuomo personally pushing the button to detonate the bridge, saved seven to nine months compared to if the entire bridge had been carefully dismantled. The new westbound span and pedestrian/bike lanes would be ready in 2020, providing the bridge with extra traffic capacity. Initial reports speculated that
6364-457: The original bridge, and are both cable-stayed bridges that will each carry one direction of traffic. The first bridge, located south of the old truss bridge, opened on April 27, 2017, with three lanes in each direction. Once the old bridge was demolished via controlled explosion in October 2017, a new westbound cable-stayed bridge with four lanes and a bike/pedestrian path started construction on
6450-510: The original six-lane Kosciuszko Bridge. This new bridge would be part of a renovation project planned for the entire crossing. DOT Supervisor Peter King stated that this new bridge may be required to avoid severe traffic backups on neighborhood streets surrounding the bridge during renovation of the Kosciuszko. King felt that in order to resolve the increasing number of severely congested streets and intersections, "a second parallel span" may be
6536-405: The pylons were completed, a supporting steel-and-concrete deck section called a pier table was built between the two pylons. The other deck sections were then built outward from the pier table, with two cables supporting each section, creating a 1,001-foot-long (305 m) deck supported by 56 cables in total. A 4,000-short-ton (3,600-long-ton) counterweight was built under the western section of
6622-547: The pylons; Millau Viaduct and Mezcala Bridge , where twin-legged towers are used; and General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge , where very stiff multi-legged frame towers were adopted. A similar situation with a suspension bridge is found at both the Great Seto Bridge and San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge where additional anchorage piers are required after every set of three suspension spans – this solution can also be adapted for cable-stayed bridges. An extradosed bridge
6708-492: The replacement bridge the first vehicular cable-stayed bridge in New York City since the Brooklyn Bridge (which has a hybrid suspension/cable-stayed design), as well as the first major new bridge in New York City since the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge's completion in 1964. Construction was originally expected to begin in 2013, but was then delayed to winter 2014. About 140 trees were removed on both sides of
6794-479: The self-anchored type lacks the heavy cable anchorages of the ordinary suspension bridge. Unlike either a cable-stayed bridge or a suspension bridge, the self-anchored suspension bridge must be supported by falsework during construction and so it is more expensive to construct. Government of New York City The government of New York City , headquartered at New York City Hall in Lower Manhattan ,
6880-417: The site of the old bridge. The first cable-stayed bridge became eastbound-only with five lanes when the westbound bridge opened on August 29, 2019. The first bridge on the site was built in 1803 through an Act of Legislature authorizing the building of a Toll Bridge over Newtown Creek : this bridge charged one cent per foot passenger, which was why the bridge was called the "Penny Bridge." The original bridge
6966-512: The spar must resist the bending caused by the cables, as the cable forces are not balanced by opposing cables. The spar of this particular bridge forms the gnomon of a large garden sundial . Related bridges by the architect Santiago Calatrava include the Puente de la Mujer (2001), Sundial Bridge (2004), Chords Bridge (2008), and Assut de l'Or Bridge (2008). Cable-stayed bridges with more than three spans involve significantly more challenging designs than do 2-span or 3-span structures. In
7052-586: The state Unified Court System. The Criminal Court of the City of New York handles summons court appearance tickets, violations, misdemeanors (generally, crimes punishable by fine or imprisonment of up to one year), and conducts arraignments (initial court appearances following arrest) and preliminary hearings in felony cases. The Civil Court of the City of New York includes Housing Court for landlord-tenant matters, Small Claims Court for cases involving amounts up to $ 5000, and generally has jurisdiction for damages up to $ 25,000. It handles about 25% of all
7138-419: The towers and are anchored at each end to the ground. This can be difficult to implement when ground conditions are poor. The main cables, which are free to move on bearings in the towers, bear the load of the bridge deck. Before the deck is installed, the cables are under tension from their own weight. Along the main cables smaller cables or rods connect to the bridge deck, which is lifted in sections. As this
7224-608: The westbound span opened in August 2019. An older bridge, a truss bridge of the same name that was located on the site of the westbound cable-stayed span, was originally opened in 1939 and was closed and demolished in 2017. The crossing is part of the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway (BQE), which carries Interstate 278 . The older truss bridge replaced the historical swing bridge which connected Meeker Avenue in Brooklyn to Laurel Hill Boulevard in Queens. The 1939 Kosciuszko Bridge carried six lanes of traffic, three in each direction. In 1940,
7310-455: Was not up to Interstate standards since it did not have any drainage pipes or shoulders . By the 1990s, the old bridge, still not up to carrying interstate traffic, was deteriorating and heavily congested. After an 18-month study in 1994–1995, State Transportation Department officials concluded that in order to relieve congestion on the busy span, a new $ 100 million bridge, which included an additional three lanes, should be built next to
7396-493: Was replaced several times. A temporary wooden bridge collapsed on January 12, 1894, leading to the death of nine. Also called Meeker Avenue Bridge, the more permanent structure in use since 1894 was still informally known by some as the Penny Bridge. The bridge structures connected Meeker Avenue in Brooklyn to Review Avenue and Laurel Hill Boulevard in Queens. The bridge was operated by private companies until 1888. In 1896,
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