Kosciuszko Bridge Demolition Could Draw 18,000 Viewers

GREENPOINT, BROOKLYN — The Kosciuszko Bridge will not die a lonely death — tens of thousands of New Yorkers are planning to attend its demolition this July.

Event planners Awesome Events NYC have created a Facebook page dedicated to the bridge’s destruction — scheduled for July 11 at 3 p.m. — and garnered about 18,000 RSVPS and more than 70,000 “interested” stars.

“Crews will use dynamite to demolish the bridge,” wrote the event planners — who are not organizing a corresponding event. “It should be an awesome event to experience!”

The 78-year-old Kosciuszko Bridge is slated to topple so that a replacement — which will accommodate 200,000 commuters daily and include bike and pedestrian paths — can be completed by 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in February.

News of the demolition has caused some surprising reactions. One Brooklyn musician is petitioning for an orchestra to play Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture as the Kosciuszko Bridge implodes.

Even the city joined in the celebrations by orchestrating a massive light show when the first stretch of the replacement bridge officially opened in April.

And now tens of thousands of New Yorkers have decided they need to see the physical destruction of the bridge for themselves.

“Who doesn't love watching sh-- get blown up?!?!?” wrote Dave Tober. “That's what America's all about!!”

“Gonna be lit,” wrote Ahmad Elfaham. “Haha (literally).”

“Should be a blast,” added Brian Hughes.

But the demolition’s awesomeness quickly became a point of contention when several commenters pointed out that while dynamite will be used to cut away the main span of the bridge, that span will not go crashing into the waters below. Instead, the discarded span of bridge will be gently hoisted onto a barge and carried away.

“People act like it's gonna be a scene from True Lies,” wrote Jeff Fawcett. “It isn't actually being blown up.”

But for other followers, watching the demolition wasn’t about seeing an enormous explosion but watching the death of a long-hated enemy — a bumpy bridge that was regularly jammed with traffic.

“I've wanted to blow that bridge up a million times,” wrote James Sparro.

“Mom you want to go see your most hated bridge to cross over while towing the pop up trailer blown up?” asked Mary Schafer.

“This is one of the worst bridges to drive over, always feels like your [sic] being pushed to the guardrails,” wrote Mary Lombardino. “So glad it's finally has been replaced. Yahoo!”

Image via Rollingrck/Flickr