Two Brooklyn Bridges Are In Need Of Repair
The Brooklyn Bridge and Terrace Bridge in Prospect Park were named as "structurally deficent" in a recent report by New York City's Department of Transportation.
There's the Brooklyn Bridge and then there's the Terrace Bridge. One is an iconic landmark and one is a small pedestrian footbridge in Prospect Park. But both are in Brooklyn and both are high on the city's list of bridges in need of help.
Yet while the the Brooklyn Bridge has been undergoing a half-billion dollar rehabilitation since last year to improve traffic flow, the Terrace Bridge is still awaiting funding to replicate all the historic features and aesthetics of the original bridge.
Some wildlife advocates contend construction on the bridge could disturb the wildlife rich surroundings. "Anything that's done to disrupt what the widlife has become accustomed to, what their safe areas are, could have definitely a very negative, possibly lethal effect." said Edita Birnkrant, the New York director of advocacy group Friends of Animals.
Eugene Patron, the spokesperson for the Prospect Park Alliance, countered. He said that's a simply false accusation. "It's a teeny, teeny part of a very large ecosystem and none of the previous work displaced any type of wildlife."
Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Gastel said that they'll proceed with the renovation when the park secures the funding and that both bridges are safe for travel.
