New York City to Invest $4 Billion in Rebuilding the Central Section of the BQE

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 24, the New York City government and the New York City Department of Transportation unveiled a repair plan for the central section of the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway (BQE Central), with an investment of approximately $4 billion to carry out structural repairs on the city-owned segment between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street. The project is scheduled to begin construction in 2030, with a construction period of about 10 years. Upon completion, the design service life of this section will be extended by 40 years.

During construction, the New York City Department of Transportation plans to build two temporary detour highways. The first will be a two-level structure along Furman Street, extending from Atlantic Avenue to Columbia Heights, with a maximum height no higher than the existing Queens-bound expressway; the second will be a temporary elevated structure that crosses the Brooklyn Bridge approach area from Columbia Heights and continues toward the Manhattan Bridge. Once the temporary roads are in service, the existing BQE structure will undergo phased repair work, and the temporary facilities will be removed after the project is completed.

The scope of this project includes repairs to the highway bridge deck, retaining walls, structural joints, and other structural components, as well as upgrades to the drainage system, barriers, and lighting facilities. The existing number of lanes in both directions will remain unchanged; the project will not add lanes or adjust the existing interchanges. The New York City Department of Transportation plans to begin preparing the environmental impact statement in 2027 and complete the land use review process in 2028.

BQE Central currently carries approximately 130,000 vehicles per day, including about 13,000 trucks. This section of infrastructure has exceeded its original design service life by about 20 years. New York City estimates that further delaying systematic repairs will add approximately $160 million in annual costs.