Thanks to a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Bronx River Alliance will now be able to create more access to the Bronx River by building two bicycle and pedestrian bridges and developing a pathway along the river between Concrete Plant Park and Starlight Park. Once completed, the bridges will close the gap from from Bruckner Boulevard to East 177th Street, a connection that has been a priority for the organization for quite some time.
The Bronx River Alliance will oversee the construction over the bridges, which will be built over the former Amtrak lines at East 172nd Street, extending over the water near the intersection of Westchester and Bronx River Avenues.
“This is the biggest gap we have and really an intensely important gap,” said Linda Cox, executive director of the Bronx River Alliance. “The connections are terrible for walkers and bikers.”
“It’s a very big step. It does get us a really connected path and a really big open gateway for Bronx residents who live east of the greenway in the Soundview neighborhood,” Cox said.
The first phase of construction is slated to begin in June with the goal of completing the entire project by 2020.
Via DNA Info
Images via Bronx River Alliance Facebook
