The New York State Department of Transportation recently opened the new Bryant Avenue pedestrian bridge over the Bruckner Expressway in the South Bronx.
“Transportation is all about people – providing safe and accessible transportation for all – and this new Bryant Avenue pedestrian bridge is an example of State Department of Transportation working with the community to create safe, accessible connections in and for the community,” Marie Therese Dominguez, New York State Department of Transportation commissioner, said.
The bridge is part of the department’s $1.7 billion Hunts Point Access Improvement Project. The project will provide improved access to parks, playgrounds and other destinations, and will enhance safety for students traveling to and from the neighboring P.S. 75 School of Research and Discovery.
The original bridge, which was closed on March 1, had reached the end of its service life and was in poor condition.
The new bridge connects Bryant Avenue to the south and Bruckner Boulevard to the north; crosses over the Bruckner Expressway, a portion of Bruckner Boulevard and the Amtrak/CSX rail lines; and travels underneath the Sheridan Boulevard ramp to and from the Bruckner Expressway.
Work included raising the height to help prevent strikes by over-height vehicles, the superstructure, reconstruction of the piers, and western ramps. Ramps and sidewalks are Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.