Overview
- The New York City Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday that the 137-year-old Carroll Street Bridge, closed since 2021, will reopen next week for pedestrians, cyclists and emergency vehicles only.
- City crews repaired abutments and approaches, installed a new timber wearing surface, added signage and pavement markings, and plan to place vertical deterrents such as planters to prevent general vehicle use.
- The bridge was taken out of service in 2021 after EPA pile driving during Gowanus Superfund work worsened existing structural damage and pushed the span into a five-year rehabilitation.
- DOT says traffic counts show no measurable increase on the other Gowanus Canal crossings while Carroll Street was locked open, a point that supporters cite when urging a broader low-traffic neighborhood pilot.
- Local advocates and Brooklyn Community Board 6, which voted in 2025 for a low-traffic configuration, view the car-free reopening as a first step that could change delivery routes, daily commutes and emergency access patterns in the neighborhood.