Today comes a report that the Throgs Neck Bridge in NYC that connects Queens with the Bronx has structural problems that will limit heavy truck traffic to the overnight hours.
Engineers have discovered cracks in the steel deck though they say that the bridge is in no danger of collapse. The bridge was built in 1961 and is among the newest of the hundreds of bridges in the New York metro area. The road deck was replaced in the 1980s with a lightweight steel deck, and it is this structure that is presenting these cracks.
This has ramifications beyond just limiting truck traffic. It shows what happens when transportation infrastructure does not keep up with traffic demands. No new bridges or tunnels have been built in the New York metro area since 1961 even though the city's population and traffic have soared.
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