ABSTRACT
In 2009, the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) embarked on an ambitious, 12 year, $750 million reconstruction program of the historic Belt Parkway between Exit 9 (Knapp Street) and Exit 14 (Pennsylvania Avenue) in Brooklyn, New York. Included within the five (5) mile construction limits are six (6) bridges of varying span lengths, configurations and design features. All but one (1) of the structures span navigable waterways that flow into Jamaica Bay, which is a sensitive marine environment and a protected habitat for a multitude of fish, wildlife and plants. Each bridge was independently designed, and the program was advanced and packaged in three (3) phases to reconstruct the parkway in the most efficient manner, while minimizing impacts to the travelling public and neighboring communities. The program is highly complex, with the combined constraints of a coastal national park/recreation area, a dense urban location, varying site conditions, and a myriad of stakeholder permits and approvals required.
