DOT: Pulaski Bridge Bikeway Will Open By End of April

pulaski_fence
The steel fence will extend over the drawbridge section of the Pulaski, protecting the new bikeway. Photo: Jon Orcutt

Construction of the Pulaski Bridge bike path is slated to finish at the end of April, according to a DOT spokesperson. As DOT’s bridge division puts together the finishing touches, specifics of the new design are coming to light, including how the bike lane will negotiate the drawbridge section of the Pulaski.

On most of the bridge, the bike lane will be separated from motor vehicle traffic by concrete barriers. The concrete transitions to metal railings near the drawbridge section. Currently, there is no railing on the drawbridge itself, but DOT says that’s coming soon.

TransitCenter’s Jon Orcutt tweeted pictures of the new railings yesterday:

Like four of the five other bridges that span Newtown Creek, the Pulaski is a “trunnion-type bascule” bridge, meaning leaves on each side of its midway point are raised via axles. When DOT studied the feasibility of a protected bike lane on the bridge, how to build effective protection on the drawbridge portion was a particular concern.

The DOT spokesperson confirmed that the project is nearly complete, save for “rail installation, signage and catch basin repair amongst other items.” There has not been a date set for the official opening.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

DOT Begins Study of Dedicated Pulaski Bridge Bike Lane

By Stephen Miller |
The NYC Department of Transportation is undertaking a feasibility study for constructing a protected bike lane on the Pulaski Bridge connecting Greenpoint and Long Island City, agency representatives said at a neighborhood transportation town hall on Monday night. The study, coming after Assembly Member Joe Lentol met with constituents about the issue in October and wrote […]

The Pulaski Bridge Bikeway Is Open and It’s Magnificent

By David Meyer |
Pedestrians and cyclists don’t have to settle for scraps of space on the Pulaski Bridge any more. This morning, the bridge’s new two-way protected bikeway officially opened to the public, the culmination of a four-year effort to improve biking and walking access between Greenpoint and Long Island City. The Pulaski carries thousands of cyclists between Queens and Brooklyn across Newtown […]

Pulaski Bridge Bike Path Now Scheduled to Open by End of 2015

By Stephen Miller |
About a year behind schedule, a major project to improve walking and biking between Queens and Brooklyn is set to move forward in 2015. The project, originally scheduled to be complete this year, will convert one southbound car lane on the Pulaski Bridge into a protected bike lane, giving more breathing room to pedestrians on what […]