On Saturday night, during a beautiful sunset, the city quietly removed two historic orbs from the top of the Manhattan Bridge, where they had kept sentry for over 110 years. The Department of Transportation noted that the "ornamental globes" will be "recast and replaced with exact replicas," and the originals will be "disposed of." This fake orb transplant procedure was approved by the city Landmarks Preservation Commission, the DOT says.
Turns out the orbs were "structurally compromised and believed to contain lead paint," according to the DOT, and "could not be salvaged." The discovery came after an earlier inspection and review process.
The DOT has not yet replied to our inquiries for more information about these decorative pieces, or the lead they may contain, or when the other globes may be removed, but we will update when we know more.
The agency previously noted on Facebook that they would work on removing "the iconic globes on the top towers of the Manhattan Bridge [starting on] 9/21. The removal of the globes will require FULL North Upper Roadway closure from 12AM-10AM on 9/28 and 9/29. The towers will be replaced in kind by the end of 2019 by new similar globes."
The work has been a long time coming; in 2017, DNA Info reported that the decorative fixtures had "begun to crumble and fall." And the DOT announced at same community board meeting that "ornamental cornices, railing panels, and rosettes in the decorative archway under the bridge have begun falling into the water" and would also need to be replaced. This decorative work is part of a larger rehabilitation project; the DOTawarded the $75.9 million contract to Skanska in 2018.
