NEW YORK (WABC) -- New Yorkers are officially saying goodbye to the old Kosciuszko Bridge, as the main span began being lowered onto two barges in the Newtown Creek.
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Steel cables are being used to slowly lower the span approximately 125 feet -- an estimated 20 feet per hour. The entire operation is expected to last approximately 16 to 18 hours.
It is part an overall $873 million investment to replace the Kosciuszko Bridge with two new state-of-the-art, cable-stayed bridges.
Ultimately, the span is expected to accommodate 180,000 cars per day.
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By comparison, the original bridge, opened in 1939, was built for only 10,000.
The new span will eventually offer a bike and pedestrian lane, as well as shoulders for emergencies, and will also be more viable for trucks as the incline won't be as steep.