The Brooklyn-Queens-Expressway rehabilitation project is a seven-year project that will restore the crumbling 1.5 mile stretch of roadway which includes the triple cantilever underpinning the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.
According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), if construction is not complete by approximately 2026, the agency will most likely have to bar truck traffic from the BQE between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street to extend the useful life of the structures. The DOT will likely have to divert 16,000 trucks daily from the highway onto local streets starting starting in 2026 which will have a major impact on Brooklyn Heights and communities throughout Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Heights Association has made passage of Design Build authority for the upcoming BQE Reconstruction Project its highest priority this spring. They are working closely with Senator Brian Kavanagh and Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon to promote its enactment.
Governor Cuomo did not include Design Build authority for the BQE as one of his legislative priorities this session. To promote its passage, Sen. Kavanagh and Assembly Member Simon are sponsoring a rally at the Montague Street entrance to the Promenade on Friday, February 9th at 10 AM.
The BQE Reconstruction Project’s goals, design critera and schedule will also be the focus of the BHA’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, February 28th at 7 PM at St. Francis College’s Auditorium, 180 Remsen Street.
Photo: Brooklyn Heights Association
