Astoria Scum River Bridge

Sometimes, when the government won't act on a problem, you have to take matters into your own hands.

For several years, a leaky pipe in Astoria in New York City beneath the Hell Gate Bridge viaduct submerged a well-walked stretch of sidewalk under a festering cesspool of standing water. Astoria Scum River, as it was called, was not only gross but dangerously icy in the winter.

In the absence of municipal action, Jason Eppink, in collaboration with street artist Posterchild, decided to address the problem, constructing Astoria Scum River Bridge as a gift to the pedestrians of Astoria.

The bridge was made at zero cost entirely from recycled materials: an old work bench found on the curb, rescued screws from a disassembled desk, and a metal plate from an expired electrical component.