Mayor Eric Adams recently revealed this past Tuesday, December 13, new proposals that will set out to fix a patch of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) in Brooklyn Heights.
The process surrounding the long-term fix was announced back in September of this year by Mayor Adams along with NYCDOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.
Their focus is on the city-owned section from Atlantic Avenue to Sands Street along with the possibility of improving BQE corridors in Brooklyn to the north and south.
Three design options are being considered by the DOT, each one placing the roadway in a slightly different position. All options include two lanes of traffic with a third lane to be used either as a breakdown lane or for high occupancy vehicles. Space will be left alongside the road to provide the area with greenspace.
The three proposals, named “The Terraces,” “The Lookout,” and “The Stoop” all offer a modernized, resilient structure with both public space upgrades and safety upgrades for pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists.
Each design concept is subject to community feedback.
“Now is the time to think big. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a BQE for the 21st century and transform an environmental and aesthetic nightmare into a dream come true for our city,” said Mayor Adams. “This is just step one. But these concepts push the boundaries and fully explore what is possible for BQE Central, and we are excited to hear from New Yorkers as we determine which one will become a reality.”
First built in the mid-1940s, this section of the BQE carries more than 130,000 vehicles daily, including 13,000 trucks, though it’s nearing the point of becoming unusable or completely crumbling.
“We are urgently pursuing a long-term fix for the city-owned portion of the BQE in Brooklyn, while taking a bold, corridor-wide approach to address the entire structure and reconnect communities throughout Brooklyn divided by this highway,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “These concepts represent ambitious ideas for how the city can reimagine BQE Central to improve neighborhood public space and quality of life.”
This isn’t the only project in the works to fix NYC infrastructure issues–construction on the Williamsburg Bridge is also underway, though it’s going to cause some subway line disturbances.