The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Wednesday (May 8th) that the reconstruction project for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) will be delayed and is now scheduled to begin in 2028. This delay is due to the lack of federal funding approval, which has resulted in the postponement of the reconstruction work.
The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway has been a crucial transportation artery within New York City since its completion in 1964, but its current condition has deteriorated significantly. According to a report by amNY, Deputy Commissioner of the DOT, Paul Ochoa, stated that the current funds are only enough to sustain temporary repairs to maintain the structural integrity of the bridges and conduct necessary environmental reviews.
In 2020, a panel of experts convened by former Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that the “triple cantilever” structure of the bridge may no longer be safe for use by 2026. The current administration under Mayor Adams proposed a reimagining of the highway segment in 2022, but the plans faced challenges due to funding shortages and local opposition.
In addition to temporary repairs, the DOT has implemented weight restrictions on vehicles traveling on the BQE – trucks weighing over 80,000 pounds are prohibited from using the expressway in an effort to extend its lifespan. The DOT has also introduced the use of mobile sensors to enforce this regulation, marking the first time such technology has been used on a highway in the United States. Despite these efforts, the issue of overweight large trucks persists, with an estimated over 10% of trucks exceeding weight limits.
The DOT aims to maintain road operations through these temporary measures while seeking new funding sources to implement a comprehensive reconstruction plan.