3/1/2018
By Ivan Pereira
The administrators of Brooklyn Bridge Park announced Thursday they are taking steps to protect parkgoers from falling debris from the Manhattan Bridge by temporarily closing a section of the park.
Although the Department of Transportation and MTA declared the area safe, Eric Landau, president of Brooklyn Bridge Park, said park crews have found small bits of debris on the ground over the last couple of weeks.
Last May, a piece of the bridge fell onto the climbing wall located in the affected area, causing a short closure for the facility.
Scaffolding will be erected in the northern area of the park bounded by Plymouth Street and the East River, due to concerns over the falling debris from the bridge, Landau said.
In addition to the climbing wall, the affected 37,500 square-foot section includes the dog run and paths that give visitors a view of the East River. Landau expects the area will be off-limits until early April, before the climbing wall opens for its new season.
He said the scaffolding will be similar to ones used for pedestrian walkway construction projects. It will be tall enough for the climbing wall, according to Landau.
“The goal is to certainly not be intrusive, but the most important thing is that we have public space open and protective,” he said.
An MTA spokesman could not give an immediate comment about the closure. A DOT spokesman said the agency is working with the park staff and MTA on the issue.
Landau said the goal is for a long-term solution to the debris problem, and that he has already reached out to the city and MTA for assistance.
“That is the most important thing for us, that everyone who comes into the park is safe,” he said.
