New park opens under Kosciuszko Bridge

Under the K Bridge Park, a new public park built beneath the overpass of the Kosciuszko Bridge, officially opened last week.
The new park is seven acres and comes equipped with bike paths, greenspace, and skate park.
“The Kosciuszko Bridge project continues to reap benefits not only for motorists, pedestrians and the cycling community, but for a North Brooklyn community craving for more open space in the midst of a worldwide pandemic,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo. “Under the K Bridge Park is living proof that the Kosciuszko Bridge project didn’t just connect two New York City boroughs, but is helping to transform an entire community.”
The bike lanes at Under the K connect to North Brooklyn’s growing bike lane network and to Queens via the shared-use path on the Kosciuszko Bridge.
The new Kosciuszko Bridge officially opened in August 2019 and included pedestrian walkways and bike lanes. The project represented the first major bridge crossing built in New York City since the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened to traffic in 1964.
Under the K also features more than 20,000 trees and plants, bringing a much needed touch of color to the largely industrial Newtown Creek waterfront.
“With the addition of this truly innovative urban park, DOT is expanding those benefits to further integrate green, open space for the enjoyment of all New Yorkers,”. “The COVID-19 public health emergency underscored the need for outdoor recreational opportunities and that’s exactly what Under the K Bridge Park provides,” said Marie Therese Dominguez, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation. “With expansive walkways, innovative design and landscaping, this bridge truly connects people through infrastructure and greenspace.”
The new park will be open daily from dawn until dusk, with COVID-19 health and safety measures in place to ensure park visitors comply with the state’s guidance on masks, social distancing, and gatherings.
“North Brooklyn has been historically underserved with its amount of parks and open space,” North Brooklyn Parks Alliance founding board member Joseph Vance explained. “Under the K Bridge Park opens the door for innovative transformation of underutilized public land for open space.”