New York City announces $4B plan to repair Brooklyn-Queens Expressway

New York City officials have announced a $4 billion plan to rehabilitate the city-owned, triple-cantilevered section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), known as ‘BQE Central’. The project aims to repair the 1.5-mile aging corridor between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street, which serves over 130,000 to 150,000 vehicles daily.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Department of Transportation intend to use temporary two-tiered bypass structures along Furman Street to allow for repairs while minimizing traffic disruption to local streets. Unlike previous proposals, this plan does not seek to expand the highway’s footprint through the Brooklyn waterfront.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2030 and conclude by 2040, with the goal of extending the structure’s lifespan until 2080. City officials noted that the cost of inaction is significant, estimating that every year of delay adds approximately $160 million to the total rehabilitation cost.