The City has presented more refined design ideas during their 3rd round of community engagement for the crumbling triple-cantilever section of the expressway at community workshops this week. The current focus lies on the “BQE Central” which is the 1.5 mile stretch that is controlled by the City. The rest of the 18 mile long expressway is controlled by the State. The City plans to tap into federal funding for all BQE sections including the BQE Central one. The options presented are refined concepts with a partial roadway tunnel, new access points from Brooklyn Heights to Brooklyn Bridge Park, a likely enlarged Promenade and more green space.
The City plans to start construction in early 2027, however they will apply for federal infrastructure grants this year. All concepts have the common goal of a road as narrow as possible and the assessment of 2 versus 3 lanes will be studied extensively during the “environmental review process” which will kick off in the fall 2023. This process has been delayed by around 6 months to receive more community feedback and for other reasons. Survey results include desired community benefits of #1 reduced congestion, #2 safer intersections, #3 quieter streets, #4 more green space and #5 better access to open space.
The future road width cannot be determined now, either a 2-or a 3-lane roadway will be built towards modern safety standards and the study will take into account current and future traffic demands. Even if a 2-lane highway will be rebuilt, the width of the road will be significantly increased to meet modern safety standards.
A partial or full replacement of the retaining wall of the triple cantilever will define how and how much of the Promenade will be changed and preserved. A full replacement of the wall would mean a longer life span of the road and less vibration for adjacent buildings. It would also mean longer and more complex construction. For the duration of the rebuild, one option is to build a temporary bypass on Furman Street along Brooklyn Bridge Park which would take one year to build. It would then be in place two to three years during construction. The other option is to build the new highway overnight and on weekends which would create lots of traffic in nearby neighborhoods and would lead to much longer construction time. Both options could also be combined. For the three design concepts: The Terraces and Lookout could mean a partial replacement of the wall structure while the Stoop would require a full replacement of the retaining wall.
The Terraces: Partial tunnel, stepped landscape for sitting and gathering, Promenade would be preserved, central access point from Brooklyn Heights to the park, stepped like an amphitheater.
The Lookout: Partial tunnel, would be bringing Brooklyn Bridge Park up to the Promenade with more park space, Promenade could we widened with 3 major access points to connect Brooklyn Bridge Park and Promenade.
The Stoop: Partial tunnel, pedestrian access to and from Brooklyn Heights at the center of the Promenade, Promenade and Brooklyn Bridge Park would meet, would expose more of the highway structure, more gradual and gentle transition. Only works as full replacement of the wall structure and Promenade.
In conjunction with the BQE reconstruction the City plans to perform major public space, street and park upgrades in surrounding areas including Atlantic Avenue interchange, Old Fulton Street, Manhattan Bridge Parks, Farragut and other areas.
For the Atlantic Avenue interchange new concepts will be presented in a separate public meeting in the spring with improvement for pedestrians and drivers, better entrance to park, potential enhancements to Van Voorhees park and safer ramps.
