MTA To Repair 90-Year-Old Lefferts Blvd Bridge In Kew Gardens

KEW GARDENS, QUEENS -- A year after toying with the idea of demolishing Kew Gardens' 90-year-old Lefferts Boulevard bridge, the MTA has agreed to repair it.

Long Island Rail Road President Phil Eng announced on Wednesday that he'd determined the bridge over Kew Gardens' LIRR station could be salvaged, and nearly $1 million initially meant for a feasibility study on the project would instead go directly toward its structural repairs.

"After many conversations with the community and elected officials...my team looked at this issue more carefully and we determined that the best use of the funds would be to directly repair the platforms," Eng said.

The overpass, built in the 1920s, is home to a dozen local storefronts that advocates argue have helped preserve Kew Gardens' small-town character.

When the MTA last year announced they might demolish the bridge - claiming it was falling apart and likely beyond repair - the community sprang into action.

More than 5,000 people signed a Change.org petition launched a year ago to restore and repair the Lefferts Boulevard bridge, arguing that the MTA had intentionally neglected the overpass and its destruction would "destroy the heart of our community."

The petition also caught the attention of City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), who ultimately secured nearly $1 million toward the bridge's repair.

“The demolition of the Lefferts Boulevard bridge would have had a devastating effect on the Kew Gardens community," Koslowitz said.

Koslowitz said she commended Eng's "willingness to reexamine the problem."

The MTA will use the funds to fix a pair of concrete and iron platforms that were built below street level in 1920 above the Kew Gardens LIRR tracks and now support the local retail building.

Eng said he expects all repairs on the bridge to be completed by the end of 2019.

"The LIRR is an integral component of Queens and we understand the importance of these business to the character of Kew Gardens," he said.

“The repairs we plan are significant, and will make the platforms safe for continued retail use.”

Lead photo via Google Maps/June 2017