NYC officials and community members celebrated the rehabilitation of a historic wooden bridge in Brooklyn during a ceremony at the span on a rainy Thursday morning.
Rehab work on the Ocean Avenue Pedestrian Bridge in Sheepshead Bay ended in late spring this year. Officials held a ribbon-cutting event on Aug. 21 to celebrate the bridge’s new look, which includes lots of new decking and post installation, and decorative lighting.
The 400-foot wooden bridge, which was built in 1880, crosses Sheepshead Bay and connects Emmons Avenue in the namesake neighborhood to Shore Boulevard in Manhattan Beach.
The bridge has deteriorated over the years as deck boards, handrails, and railing supports were in dire need of replacement. In 2022, then-Assembly Member Steve Cymbrowitz worked to make $750,000 available to fund the rehab work, officials said. NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) filled in the remainder of the necessary funding to move forward with the approximately $1.2 million project.
“Bridging communities is a priority for the Adams Administration and NYC DOT, and the Ocean Avenue Pedestrian Bridge literally does just that,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “This iconic wooden bridge from a century ago was in much need of tender loving care, and together former Assembly Member Cymbrowitz, the local community, and DOT’s operational teams stepped up and delivered for Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach and all of Brooklyn.”
DOT workers made the improvements, including deck and walking board replacements, vertical bumper support replacement, railing and stringer replacement, painting, and development and replacement of matching decorative lighting.
Elected officials were at the ceremony to celebrate the project.
“I am delighted that this historic and beautiful pedestrian bridge, which I use daily, has been restored to its former glory,” Assembly Member Michael Novakhov said. “As a longtime resident of Manhattan Beach, I can personally attest that the repairs to the walkway and handrails were essential and long overdue.”
Local City Council Member Inna Vernikov noted the bridge’s iconic status in the neighborhood.
“I am proud to see the long-awaited, much-needed updates to the Sheepshead Bay Bridge finally completed,” she said. “This bridge is a landmark in our community and a daily path for so many neighbors connecting Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach. For years, residents and local businesses have needed and asked for these repairs, and today’s reopening reflects what can be achieved when government works in conjunction with the community.”
