The Department of Transportation has unveiled two possible proposals for the rehabilitation of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway from Atlantic Avenue to Sands Street.
In what the agency has billed the “innovative” scenario, the revamp would be completed in six years at a cost of $3.2–$3.6 billion, with numerous community benefits (including improved pedestrian access from Brooklyn Heights to Brooklyn Bridge Park, and more green space around the roadway). But it would also necessitate the complete closure of that portion of the BQE and construction of a temporary six-lane roadway on the level of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade—meaning the walkway would be removed for as long as six years. It would be rebuilt at the end of the construction period, a move that DOT sees as necessary given its age and current state.
The other, “traditional” scenario would see reconstruction on the BQE implemented piecemeal; repairs would be made lane-by-lane, without the temporary roadway or an extensive closure of the Promenade. DOT sees this option as more uncertain when it comes to pricing and timeline—it could take more than eight years, and the cost could be anywhere from $3.4 billion to more than $4 billion.
Work on the new BQE isn’t set to begin for at least another couple of years. The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) will be hosting a Project Update Meeting on Thursday, September 27, doors open at 5:30 p.m., event from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m with presentation and Q&A Session at Ingersoll Community Center at 177 Myrtle Avenue. Read the meeting recap here.
