The Kosciuszko Bridge is one of New York City's most essential pieces of infrastructure, the hyphen in the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that connects the two boroughs over Newtown Creek, the 3.5 mile creek which empties into the East River.
The bridge is interestingly named for the Polish national hero Tadeusz Kościuszko who fought during the American Revolution, then attempted to bring a similar revolutionary spirit to his home country, leading to the doomed Kościuszko Uprising of 1794.
Kościuszko, the man, is a revered historical figure. The bridge, however, has not always been loved. And many non-Polish people even struggle to pronounce its name, inventing a half-dozen acceptable variants.
The original Kościuszko Bridge was not exactly beloved by drivers, vexed by its inadequate handling of traffic and its poor roadways. Its glorious replacement, installed in two phases in 2017 and 2019, lights up the night sky -- and the filmy waters below.
In this episode, Greg tells the entire story -- of both the man and the bridge. But it's also a story of Newtown Creek, the heavily polluted body of water which runs beneath it. How did this once placid creek become so notoriously filthy? And how did the most prominent bridge over that waterway become associated with an 18th century hero?
PLUS The return of Robert Moses!
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#109 New York City Subway, Part 1: Birth of the IRT
#108 Cable Cars, Trolleys and Monorails
#107 New York's Elevated Railroads
#106 Staten Island Ferry
#105 The Newsboys Strike of 1899
#104 CBGB & OMFUG
#103: Case Files of the NYPD
#102 Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach
#101 The Bronx Zoo
#100 Robert Moses
#99 Madison Square Garden
#98 Manhattan Bridge
#58 Delmonico's Restaurant
#97 Trinity Church
#96 The Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park
#95 Tin Pan Alley
#94 Corlear's Hook and the Pirates of the East River
#93 City Hall and City Hall Park
#92 Steinway: the Piano Man
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