A Floating Pontoon Highway, for NYC's displaced L riders, with a Draw Bridge for ship traffic, could be set up in 6-8 months to transport Bus Traffic between Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Could an East River Pontoon Bridge Save Us From the L-pocalypse?

Earlier this week, the MTA and DOT revealed their plans for ferry service during the L-train shutdown, with proposed routes connecting North Williamsburg to Stuyvesant Cove. However, a recently launched project is floating another unusual solution to the impending L-pocalypse: a pontoon bridge.

From article, (Earlier this week, the MTA and DOT revealed their plans for ferry serviceduring the L-train shutdown, with proposed routes connecting North Williamsburg to Stuyvesant Cove. However, a recently launched project is floating another unusual solution to the impending L-pocalypse: a pontoon bridge. L-ternative Bridge, created by New Yorker Parker Shinn, touts the pontoon bridge as a cheap, quick-to-assemble option that would alleviate some of the difficulties posed by the shutdown of the Canarsie Tube.

Shinn hopes that his design, created with the help of a naval architect and a civil engineer, will garner enough public support to attract the attention and backing of the MTA and other city officials, according to a release.

The project’s website states that the East River pontoon bridge “would be capable of supporting two lanes for bus traffic and two walking/bike paths.” In addition, they claim that construction would only take 6-8 months and could be “completely covered” by a toll of $1. The bridge would be made up of 37 deck barges, each 90 feet in length and held in place with 3,500 pound anchors to prevent the bridge from being swept away.

Pontoon bridges have been used for over a thousand years, and are still commonly used by militaries to cross large bodies of water quickly and efficiently, says the website.

 L-ternative’s plan also includes an overpass to be built over FDR Drive that would allow buses and pedestrians to pass underneath to avoid traffic jams, and even includes a 240-foot drawbridge, which would allow ship traffic to pass through at scheduled intervals– just hopefully not during peak hours.)

For More Info