BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — After closing to the public almost two years ago, Squibb Park Bridge may finally reopen next year, officials said Wednesday.
The pedestrian bridge, which opened in March 2013, became known for giving walkers a slight spring in their step as they traversed between Brooklyn Heights and Brooklyn Bridge Park.
But park officials closed the bridge in August 2014 when the bridge's quirky bounce turned potentially hazardous.
Designed by Ted Zoli, of HNTB Corporation, the bridge was expected to reopen after a few months of repairs. Nearly two years later, it remains shuttered despite repeated attempts to fix it, officials said in January.
Earlier this year, Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation filed a lawsuit against the firm to recover all repair costs for the "faulty and defective" wooden pedestrian bridge, calling HNTB Corporation's design "inherently flawed."
Engineering firm Arup was hired to work with the Department of Transportation's Division of Bridges and a plan is now in place to stabilize the bridge, the New York Times first reported.
The estimated reopening date for the bridge is spring 2017, although an exact date has yet to be announced, Brooklyn Bridge Park spokeswoman Belinda Cape said.
When the bridge reopens, its bounce will be more subtle than pedestrians may remember thanks to "dampers" installed to the underside of the structure, the newspaper reported.
Park officials plan to select a construction manager soon and will go before the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation's board for contract approval later this year. The repair work will be bid out soon after that, according to a park spokeswoman.
Construction is expected to begin immediately after the board approves the plan this fall.
