Going Coastal

The long-awaited project to replace the deteriorating and traffic-choked Kosciuszko Bridge has hit a roadblock because a state agency believes the aging span could be worth saving.

The state Historic Preservation Office has refused to approve final designs that call for the Kosciuszko to be demolished and replaced by two new spans, according to a letter obtained by the Daily News.

“It is our opinion that the rehabilitation of the existing bridge – which represents a significant and unusual variation of the Warren truss type bridge – is a prudent and feasible alternative to demolition,” a Historic Preservation official wrote to the state Department of Transportation in November.

DOT had previously anticipated receiving federal approval of the roughly $700 million project – the final step in the regulatory process – by the end of last year. But the inter-agency squabble has prevented DOT from finalizing its plans.

“We have had to put the schedule on hold for a couple of months while we’re waiting for this to be resolved,” said DOT spokesman Adam Levine.

The hang-up has infuriated those with a stake in the outcome.

“It is ridiculous for them to take this position,” said George Kosser, vice president of Karp Associates, a company whose Maspeth plant is to be acquired through eminent domain to make way for the project.

“They’ve been in the loop for two years,” Kosser said of Historic Preservation. “They could’ve commented earlier and prevented a delay in the project.”

Levine said Historic Preservation officials did not raise their concerns until late last year, well after public review of draft plans.

With memories of last year’s Minneapolis bridge collapse still fresh in their minds, Kosser and other committee members urged the state to demolish the 1939 bridge, which carries the BQE over Newtown Creek between Maspeth, Queens, and Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

In December, DOT evaluated 49 deck-truss bridges in the state. The Kosciuszko got the worst rating, having been assigned 28 “flags” for problems.

The second-worst bridge in the study got 11 flags. Most had none or at most a couple.

“The whole bridge needs to come down before it falls down,” said committee member Dorothy Swick, 72, of Greenpoint.

Levine said that in the next few weeks, DOT will give Historic Preservation a report to “further explain some of the reasons why we believe that replacement would be better.” The report will address safety concerns, such as its steep grade and high accident rate, he said.

“We will be responsive to their concerns, especially if they are safety related,” said Historic Preservation spokeswoman Eileen Larrabee.

BY JOHN LAUINGER

NY Daily News