Old bridges above Brooklyn subway tracks are crumbling, with steel like Swiss cheese

"The bridges support the sections of Newkirk and Foster avenues on either side of Newkirk Plaza, which sits above the trench where the B and Q subway lines run. An engineering assessment published by the city last month shows the steel on each crossing is full of holes, and the concrete decks are deteriorating. Exposed, rusting rebar is in clear view on both bridges. Small, white stalactites are visible on the Newkirk Avenue crossing, a sign that water has seeped through for years."

"The city transportation department issued a notice last month calling for a consultant to help devise a plan to fix the crossings. If they were to fall down or become unsafe, it would be a disaster for subway riders in South Brooklyn. The notice said the bridges were both built in 1907 and "no major rehabilitation took place since then." Their sorry state highlights a growing challenge for city officials: Much of New York's infrastructure has outlived its useful life, and repairing it threatens to be highly disruptive for daily commutes."

""These bridges date back to 1907 and we look forward to rehabilitating them with generational upgrades to last another 120 years," said DOT spokesperson Scott Gastel "We will make sure all proper mitigations are in place for commuters as we proceed.""

"The MTA and city transportation department got into a dispute over a decade ago over who was responsible for fixing the bridges, according to Jerrell Gray, the chair of Brooklyn Community Board 14. "The community board was advocating for the agencies to settle those jurisdictional issues since 2012," said Gray. "That was honestly the main driver why those bridges haven't had improvements since they were built... Neither agency wanted to take responsibility.""

Two century-old bridges carrying Newkirk and Foster avenues above Newkirk Plaza over the B and Q subway lines have deteriorated due to long-term lack of maintenance. Engineering records show steel crossings with full of holes and concrete decks that are deteriorating. Exposed rusting rebar is visible on both bridges, and white stalactites indicate long-term water seepage. The city transportation department issued a notice seeking a consultant to develop a repair plan, warning that collapse or unsafe conditions would be disastrous for South Brooklyn subway riders. The bridges were built in 1907 and have had no major rehabilitation since then. Officials plan generational upgrades while ensuring commuter mitigations, amid past jurisdiction disputes between agencies over responsibility.

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