Kosciuszko Bridge & Penny Bridge - Meeker Avenue Bridge

Bird's Eye View of Kosciuszko Bridge from Bing Maps

As the end of the Kosciuszko Bridge draws near it seems appropriate to reflect on the soon to be demolished structure, as well as the former spans that once connected Greenpoint to the Queens side of Newtown Creek. The Kosciuszko was built to replace the Penny Bridge (a.k.a. Meeker Avenue Bridge); however, the Penny Bridge was not the first structure in the area to span Newtown Creek. The Penny Bridge's predecessors included a bridge built on wood piles after the war of 1812 which was replaced in 1836 by a bridge on stone piers. The toll to cross the 1836 structure was 1 penny, hence the origin of the name for the Penny Bridge built in the late 1800s.[1]

Penny Bridge Abutment on Queens Side

Penny Bridge Location & Site Context

Little if any physical evidence remains of the two earliest bridges, however the abutments of the Penny Bridge can still be seen on the banks of Newtown Creek. Built in 1894, the Penny Bridge was the main link from Greenpoint, Brooklyn to Sunnyside and Maspeth, Queens via Meeker Avenue. The Penny Bridge was a turntable bridge spanning 144 feet across Newtown Creek. According to publications immediately prior to demolition of the structure, the bridge "wreaked havoc" on shipping traffic due to its low clearance and turntable design. To open, the bridge would pivot from an island in the middle of the creek 1/3 the size of the span creating a channel on either side of the structure. The larger channel, measuring approximately 53 feet wide, determined the limit of the size of vessels that could pass.[2] Although the island that housed the bridge's pivot no longer exists its property lines are still part of Sunnyside Queens according to Google Maps.

Kosciuszko Bridge from Former Site of Penny Bridge

Construction on the Robert Moses era Kosciuszko Bridge began on May 25th of 1938 and it was completed in August of 1939.[2] Originally named Meeker Avenue Bridge, the Kosciuszko was renamed in 1940 to honor the Polish patriot and Revolutionary war hero Thaddeus Kosciuszko.[3] The structure is a truss bridge measuring 6,400 feet long, making it 384 feet longer than the Brooklyn Bridge, and 125 feet high.[2][4] At the time it was built the span had the distinction of being the longest bridge over a narrow waterway in the world.[4]

New Footprint of Kosciuszko Bridge

As the cycle of construction life marches forward there will soon be yet another bridge constructed to replace the Kosciusko. At the time of this blog post construction mobilization is underway to replace the old Kosciuszko with a new modern Kosciuszko Bridge that will meet current safety standards and help elevate traffic congestion with additional, wider lanes and a reduced road incline. In addition, the new bridge will include a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians.[5] The proposed structure will be built in the roadbed adjacent to the existing Kosciuszko Bridge (see photo above).[6]

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References:

1. "'Penny Bridge' Inquiry Evoked Many Replies" Brooklyn Daily Eagle 24 September, 1950
2. North, Leslie "Boon to Industry" Unknown Publication Source 4 August, 1939
3. Ingersoll, Kosciuszko Memorials Approved" Brooklyn Daily Eagle 17 October, 1940
4. "A Fact A Day About Brooklyn" Brooklyn Daily Eagle 29 July, 1941
5. New York Sate DOT online.
6. Mitch Waxman "Poison Cauldron of the Newtown Creek" Atlas Obscura tour.