Project Description
NYC DOT is proposing the rehabilitation of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway/Interstate 278 (BQE) from just north of Atlantic Avenue to Nassau Street (BQE Central) to address identified structural deficiencies (the Project). The objectives, which address the transportation needs of BQE Central, are to: Address structural deterioration to extend its service life and reduce maintenance costs; and Maintain regional vehicular connectivity and mobility. The Project is located along a section of the BQE, a 12-mile-long segment of Interstate 278 (I-278) located between the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel in Brooklyn and the Grand Central Parkway in Queens, New York. I-278 is a 36-mile-long, generally east-west limited-access highway that runs between Linden, New Jersey and the Bronx, New York. The BQE is a principal north-south route through Brooklyn and Queens, carrying approximately 130,000 vehicles a day. The portion of the BQE that is located within the project limits is known as BQE Central, owned by the City of New York and maintained by NYC DOT. BQE Central, which parallels the eastern and southern shore of the East River, passes through densely developed urban areas, with a wide range of land uses in close proximity, including some of the oldest neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Within the project limits, the BQE is an elevated highway that passes above city streets, parkland, and transportation right-of-way. The project limits include the BQE Central roadway, shoulders and offsets, support structures, Furman Street, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, local street overpasses and underpasses between Atlantic Avenue and Nassau Streets, and adjacent New York City-owned property, including parking lots, maintenance and storage areas, and open space. The project limits include a portion of the property at 25 Joralemon Street. NYC DOT would acquire the portion of the property that is vacant and underneath the existing BQE road deck. NYC DOT would not acquire the occupied portion of this structure that is immediately east of the BQE and outside of its right-of-way. The project limits also include small sections of mapped parkland adjacent to the roadway, which NYC DOT would incorporate through alienation legislation by the New York State legislature, including a home rule action by the New York City Council. BQE Central includes the unique 0.4-mile-long triple cantilever section. The structure takes advantage of an extreme change in elevation between the Brooklyn waterfront and Brooklyn Heights. It is composed of two levels of highway and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade on a structure elevated above Furman Street. The structure hangs from a retaining wall that extends from ground level to the top of the bluff. The cantilever section begins at Joralemon Street just north of Atlantic Avenue and ends at Washington Street. The Project would include alterations to land use and City Map changes, acquisition of property, and parkland alienation. Construction of the Project is currently anticipated to begin in 2029 and be completed before 2040. The early phases of construction would involve erecting two bypass structures to carry traffic while the rehabilitation of the BQE structure occurs. Following completion of the rehabilitation activities, NYC DOT would remove the bypass structures.
