Work is scheduled to be complete in early 2014

Rehabilitation of one of the city’s greatest landmarks is slated to start this winter. The Brooklyn Bridge, completed in 1883, is to undergo a four-year safety and aesthetic improvement program. The city Department of Transportation (DOT) gave Community Board 1 a recap of the rehabilitation project this week, explaining that traffic impacts will be minimized even as major repaving, repairs, and extensive painting plans are carried out.

Led by contractor Koch Skanska, which also rehabilitated the Manhattan Bridge cable system, the Brooklyn Bridge work is planned to begin in early December 2009. The heavy traffic that traverses the national historic landmark has underscored the importance of its function, which is why DOT planners plan to conduct most of the work overnight and on weekends when traffic volume is lowest.

When the work is complete, in approximately early 2014, drivers will enjoy the benefits of widened entrance ramps from the FDR Drive and exit ramps onto Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn -- both of which will expand to two travel lanes.

Pre-cast reinforced-concrete slabs, built with waterproofing materials, will replace the bridge’s well-worn, cracked pavement, which will better protect the stone “arch blocks” that form the approach-ramp structures. The steel of those arches and girders also will be repaired and reinforced to ensure structural integrity for decades to come.

Removal of lead paint on the bridge’s span, railings, and structural components will be removed safely using a 100-percent-containment tent system under negative air pressure. A similar system has been used successfully on the 59th Street Bridge, with constant air monitoring in place. The Brooklyn Bridge will then be repainted in a single color, maintaining its iconic beauty.

DOT representatives said that well-laid detour and mitigation plans will help alleviate traffic congestion during the project. With the help of community outreach, message boards, traffic agents, and other communications, drivers will be redirected to the Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, and other crossings while work is taking place. The agency plans to maintain three moving lanes of traffic at all times, alternating work on eastbound and westbound roadways depending on peak traffic volumes.

Brooklyn Bridge rehabilitation work also will be coordinated with contractors for adjacent projects, including the East River Waterfront, Chatham Square reconstruction, and the various Department of Design and Construction infrastructre projects.

More details will be posted on LowerManhattan.info, along with regular traffic notices, once project and traffic logistics are finalized.

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