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The portion of the Manhattan Bridge closed this week for emergency repairs has been in critical condition for more than two years, but repair work was postponed to avoid disrupting subway service while major repairs were being made on the east side of the bridge, according to documents obtained by New York Newsday.
The trains were switched in December to the newly rebuilt east side and subway service was not disrupted by this week's closing of the west roadway. The west side is scheduled to remain closed for as long as five months for temporary repairs that are not expected to last longer than two years, city officials said yesterday.
Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that in April, 1986, the city Department of Transportation wanted to replace the bridge's ailing upper west roadway. But in an angry meeting with DOT, Transit Authority President David Gunn vetoed...