NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Bridge has been through a lot in its 127 years. Now, it’s getting a face-lift.
The $500 million makeover includes a complete repainting and updated access ramps.
Vice President Joe Biden joined Mayor Mi chael Bloomberg on Wednesday to mark the beginning of the bridge project. It’s set to be completed in 2014.
The economic-recovery act provided $30 million for the project.
The rest of the funding comes from the city and other federal sources.
The East River span helped spur the growth of the city’s outer boroughs. It also has played an important role in major events, including Sept. 11, 2001, when a flood of people fled Lower Manhattan by walking across the bridge.
About the bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge, with its two neo-Gothic towers and elegant steel cables, is one of New York City’s most revered pieces of architecture. Designed by engineer John Augustus Roebling, it opened May 24, 1883, after 13 years of building at a cost of $15 million.
