Bridge closes for reconstruction
Crews begin demolition of Greenkill Avenue span to make room for new one
The Greenkill Avenue bridge above Broadway in Midtown has been closed to traffic, and its demolition is at hand.
The blacktop on the bridge’s road surface was ripped up beginning Monday morning, and concrete removal was planned for late Monday afternoon, according to City Engineer Ralph Swenson.
Removing the steel superstructure of the bridge will be the following step, Swenson said, adding the entire demolition should be done in two weeks.
It then will take about a year to build the replacement bridge.
Broadway beneath the bridge is to remain open to traffic throughout the project, though intermittent lane closures are possible. Also, overnight closures are expected during the upcoming steel-removal process.
The project is being carried out by contractor Bette & Cring, which submitted a low bid of
$2.08 million. New York state is expected to cover about 95 percent of the cost
The city initially expected the project to cost about $3.5 million.
The Greenkill Avenue bridge, built in 1952, is about 86 feet long and was found to have average daily usage of about 4,000 vehicles in a study conducted three years ago. It’s being replaced due to deterioration deemed too serious to repair.
Detours for drivers who typically would use the bridge have been posted.