The city's first new bridge in more than 50 years is drawing lots of praise for its design and its promise of improving traffic. But New Yorkers just can't agree on how to pronounce its name. NY1's Roger Clark reports on the Kosciuszko Bridge.

An old bridge on its way out - and its replacement on its way in. Claire Carmody, a resident of Maspeth, Queens for 58 years, knows it by name. 

"I would do Kos-kee-os-ko. That's what we would say in the neighborhood," she says.

Actually, how to pronounce the name of the bridge between Brooklyn and Queens has been the subject of debate here ever since the span was first built 78 years ago.

What is not disputed is who it's named for - Polish General Thaddeus Kosciusko, who helped the patriots win the American Revolutionary War.

Richard Hourahan, the curator of the Queens Historical Society, says it was originally called the Meeker Avenue Bridge and renamed just a year after its 1939 opening. 

"It was so popular the renaming of the bridge to Kosciusko," he says.

At a time when the Polish people were dealing with invasions from Germany and Russia - stateside there were large Polish-American communities in the shadow of the bridge in Greenpoint and Maspeth. Still, how to say the name of the bridge and its namesake remains a "depends on who you ask" quandary. 

"Kos-ee-os-ko," says one man.

Absolutely not says another long-time Maspeth resident, Anthony Catapano. 

"It's pronounced ka-shoo-sko. We all grew up in the neighborhood thinking it was Ko-skee-ah-sko. So did my parents. But it actually is Ka-shoo-sko, the way it is pronounced," he insists.

At Thursday's dedication of the bridge's replacement, the Queens borough president played a name-game

It's my pleasure to welcome you to the opening of the new Ko-skee-ah-sko/ Ko-shoo-shko Bridge. I almost got it!. I'm working on it," said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, pronouncing the name two ways.

As they built the new span, state transportation officials sidestepped the issue entirely, simply refering to it as the "K Bridge." 

Perhaps for the final word, it's Tomasz Dieniadz, an immigrant from Poland and a construction worker who helped to build the new bridge, set me straight -- I think. 

"Ko-shoo-Shko. Here is s and z,.' Shhhhh.' Ko-shoo-Shko." he says.

One possible solution - referring to the bridge by the general's first name, the Thaddeus Bridge. But that's pretty tough, too. His first name is pronounced, Ta-de-oosh.  

So maybe let's just call it, 'That Bridge Between Brooklyn and Queen."