‘No Way To Treat a Bridge’

After reading your Editorial, “No Way To Treat a Bridge,” [August 29, 2006] I wanted to let your readers know how we make repair and painting decisions for New York City’s bridges — and assure them that our treasured Brooklyn Bridge does not suffer from “neglect.” To determine when and how each of our City’s bridges should be painted or otherwise repaired, I rely on a team of experienced engineers and consultants who bring decades of engineering knowledge to the job.

The repainting of the Brooklyn Bridge is scheduled to begin in 2009. While we certainly could start painting sooner, we would then have to delay critical reconstruction on the Manhattan Bridge that will begin this October. The lower roadway on the Manhattan Bridge will be fully closed in another two months and this will force more traffic onto the other East River crossings. If we were painting the Brooklyn Bridge (which requires lane closures) simultaneously, we would create a traffic nightmare for anyone crossing the East River. The East River Bridges work together to handle the hundreds of thousands of daily vehicle crossings and any work performed on one of them limits the work and closures that can occur on the others. As the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, I am responsible for not only the Brooklyn Bridge but hundreds of other bridges in our City. And since the mid-1980’s, DOT has spent just under $4 billion on maintaining the four East River bridges alone. By coordinating timing of projects on each of these East River crossings, we are able to ensure appropriate work is done in a timely manner while minimizing traffic disruptions. New Yorkers can rest assured that we will continue to do whatever it takes to keep them all in good condition.

IRIS WEINSHALL
Commissioner NYC Department of Transportation
New York, N.Y