Old Kosciuszko Bridge demolition is officially underway

It’s time to say so long to the old Kosciuszko Bridge. The first phase of demolition on the bridge began today, two weeks later than its original July 11 start date, with the Department of Transportation lowering the bridge’s 125-foot-long main span.

According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the main span was lowered onto a barge between 10 a.m. and noon where it was then carried out along Newtown Creek. Its next destination is to a recycling facility in New Jersey.

Spectators were encouraged to watch the lowering of the bridge between Review Avenue and Laurel Hill Boulevard in Long Island City but those who were hoping to witness a true demolition were likely disappointed. To reduce harmful effects on the environment as much as possible, the DOT chose to execute small implosions in sections, rather than one large demolition.

The new Kosciuszko Bridge debuted in April to a grand opening ceremony that included Governor Andrew Cuomo riding in on a 1932 Packard that was owned by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a marching band, parade, and evening light show. It is the city’s first new bridge in 53 years.

• Kosciuszko Bridge demolition begins today [Brooklyn Daily Eagle]
• New York's rebuilt Kosciuszko Bridge makes its big debut [Curbed]