Queensboro Bridge partially closed for repairs

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Much of the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge is shut down for repairs this weekend.

On Friday night, the Department of Transportation began the delicate work of replacing steel beams that were damaged in a truck fire back in August.

The DOT will install two 26-foot-long, 1.5-ton custom steel replacement beams.

The bridge's two upper and two lower, inner Queens-bound lanes will remain closed for the duration of the project as the replacement beams are installed.

To facilitate Queens-bound traffic, the two Manhattan-bound lanes on the span's lower level will be temporarily reversed to Queens.

In addition, the single lane of the south outer roadway, open to passenger cars only, will be available for Queens-bound traffic.

The bridge's two Manhattan-bound lanes on the upper level will continue to remain accessible to Manhattan-bound traffic throughout the weekend, though restricted to trucks. Motorists are urged to avoid the area if possible and to use adjacent crossings.

The entire bridge is scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday.

The truck fire produced temperatures hot enough to melt steel, warping the beams, which DOT crews immediately shored up with plates and other safety measures.

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