Traffic flow on a Flushing bridge will be cut in half for the next year as the Department of Transportation (DOT) begins rehabilitation work on the structure this week.
The Roosevelt Avenue Bridge between 126th Street and Janet Place will be reduced from four to two lanes during this portion of the project, with one lane of traffic maintained in each direction at all times. Drivers are advised to travel to Northern Boulevard as an alternative to this route.
The overall project includes replacement of the bridge deck and its stringers, rehabilitation of the piers and abutments, and widening of the sidewalks. According to the DOT, these efforts will bring the bridge into a state of good repair and will extend use of the bridge for about 50 years.
The Roosevelt Avenue Bridge runs over the Flushing River to connect downtown Flushing to Willets Point. It was completed in 1927 and is currently used by an average of 20,000 vehicles per day.
The most recent rehabilitation on the bridge consisted of full deck replacement and comprehensive steel repairs in 1982.
