New Street Bridge Temporary Closure and Impact on Drivers

New Street Bridge, the bridge that for more than 120 years has connected industrial areas between Maspeth, Queens and East Williamsburg, Brooklyn has temporarily restricted passage to MTA buses and other heavy vehicles as the DOT prepares for a complete closure this weekend to make critical repairs to the structure.

This unexpected closure will affect the routine of the drivers who travel this route.

One of them is José Gualdarrama, who works as a truck driver for a company that distributes non-alcoholic beverages in Maspeth.

Gualdarrama

“We usually take the bus here to go to Staten Island, now we have to go around to the other side, to the other avenue. It makes traffic harder for us and to guide more traffic as well,” explained Gualdarrama.

“On 11/11 and 11/12 from 6am to 6pm (both days), the #GrandStBridge will be COMPLETELY closed for repairs,” reads a social media message from the Department of Transportation.

On 11/11 and 11/12 from 6AM-6PM (both days), the #GrandStBridge will be FULLY closed for repairs. pic.twitter.com/7KWRwtHN0d

— NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) November 9, 2023

With the closure of the bridge, route Q59 will be affected in both directions. Something that also affects José, who lives in the Bronx and who takes this route to get to his work.

“It affects me a lot because I have to leave almost 45 minutes early,” added Gualdarrama.

This week the agency posted a sign indicating a weight limit of 13 tons, after discovering that these heavy vehicles exceed the weight limit of this bridge.

But some MTA trucks and buses bypassed the restrictions.

“Our boss doesn’t care, he says ‘go there’, so it’s the route we know and it’s the closest to entering through the bridge,” said Gualdarrama.

-And it does not scare you?

“No, honestly, I’ve had him for so long and nothing has happened. So ah, I hope nothing is going to happen either, understand.”

The Department of Transportation suggests drivers who drive vehicles weighing more than 13 tons take the Metropolitan Avenue bridge that also connects Queens and Brooklyn.

“But for work I would really lack it, because it would be a time crunch, you understand, because we have to take a detour somewhere else. We cannot take the bridge, we have to go this way very seriously and it is very serious indeed,” said Sahif Tineo.

A DOT spokesperson said most of the buses that normally travel over the bridge do not provide passenger service as they depart from a nearby bus storage facility.

Once repairs are completed, the agency will remove the 13-ton limit, as long as no further work is needed on the bridge.

2023-11-11 00:26:00
#Full #closure #Grand #Street #Bridge #weekend