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Read the press release here.

Brooklyn's Newest Bridge Thrills With Sweeping Waterfront Views

By Janet Upadhye | December 6, 2012 4:08pm

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Brooklyn is getting a new bridge — but this one is just for pedestrians.

The nearly 400-foot footbridge, opening later this month, will stretch from Squibb Park near the north end of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade to Brooklyn Bridge Park, winding among massive oak trees and in between buildings.

A walk on the city's new $4.9 million bridge will provide sweeping views of the Lower Manhattan skyline — and also a bit of a thrill as the span drops 40 feet from Brooklyn Heights to the waterfront.

"The Squibb Park Bridge is not only a remarkably beautiful amenity but a key connector between Brooklyn Bridge Park and the adjacent communities," Regina Myer, president of Brooklyn Bridge Park, said in a statement.

Designed by Ted Zoli of the HNTB Corporation, Squibb Park Bridge was created with an eye toward the environment and seeks to mimic the look and feel of the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Zoli's bridge will be constructed almost entirely of rot-resistant black locust wood, and its stainless steel cables are a nod to the industrial past of the park below.

"The overall idea was to create a bridge that draws from the language of Brooklyn Bridge Park," Zoli told Popular Mechanics. "I was very taken by the idea of the Robinia fence posts and the wire range fencing [in Brooklyn Bridge Park], and re-imagining these components as part of the footbridge."

The project was funded by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and City Councilman Stephen Levin.

The bridge will be assembled starting Dec. 15 and is expected to open before New Year's Eve.