New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a $4 billion plan Monday to address the long-standing issues with the crumbling Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). The proposal, slated to break ground in 2030, focuses on rebuilding the expressway's "triple-cantilever" section over a decade, rather than a complete demolition.
Mamdani stated the project would extend the life of the BQE by an additional 40 years, aiming to complete repairs by 2040. The plan involves constructing a temporary highway along Brooklyn Bridge Park to reroute traffic, preventing congestion on local streets during the extensive construction period. "This plan allows us to safely fix the current problem, without slowing our city down and wasting decades more waiting while the BQE continues to get worse," Mamdani said in a social media video.
The BQE's "triple-cantilever" section, a 1.5-mile stretch in Brooklyn under city control near Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street, has been a persistent challenge for previous mayoral administrations. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio's 2018 proposal to divert traffic through the Brooklyn Heights Promenade faced community opposition and was ultimately shelved. Mayor Eric Adams also pursued federal involvement for a longer-term solution, and his administration reportedly laid groundwork that informed Mamdani's current plan.
Councilwoman Joann Ariola criticized the administration, asserting that the current plan takes credit for work initiated before Mamdani took office. "This is becoming standard operating procedure for this administration… The mayor and his team are taking all the credit for a project that started well before he was in office," Ariola said.
Mamdani's proposal differs from past initiatives by routing traffic through a temporary, four-lane bypass constructed on Furman Street, positioned below the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. This approach aims to minimize community disruption compared to earlier proposals that considered using the promenade itself for the bypass. A second temporary elevated highway bypass will also be constructed over the Brooklyn Bridge approach to the Manhattan Bridge.
The BQE, originally conceived by urban planner Robert Moses, opened in 1957. Mamdani highlighted the ongoing cost of maintaining the deteriorating structure, estimating it at $160 million annually.
