Credit: NYC DOT on Flickr

A 145-year-old footbridge connecting Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach has reopened after a long-overdue revitalization. Last week, Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez cut the ribbon on the new Ocean Avenue Pedestrian Bridge, originally built in 1880 and last repaired in 1930. As part of the project, in-house crews replaced the deck and walking boards, vertical supports, railings, and stringers, repainted the structure, and restored its decorative lighting.

The bridge’s repair became a community priority, with former Assembly Member Steve Cymbrowitz securing $750,000 in multimodal funds from the state in 2022. The DOT provided the remaining funds needed to complete the roughly $1.2 million project.

Railroad tycoon and banker Austin

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