The BQE Only Has 10 to 12 Years Left to Live, City Study Says

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, NY — A full-body inspection of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), conducted by city officials over the summer, found that if the dilapidated highway isn't immediately rehabbed between Atlantic Avenue in Cobble Hill/Brooklyn Heights and Sands Street in DUMBO/Vinegar Hill, drivers will see "major" disruptions — even a total BQE shutdown — within the next 10 to 12 years.

The report, issued this week by the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT), found that while the majority of the BQE is currently in OK condition, some of its bridges are in dire need of rehabilitation — even replacement — due to the wear and tear from cold weather and corrosion.

Specifically, the report pointed to 21 bridges that support the cantilevered expressway as it curves through the Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO area as having the highest risk of giving out.

Previous reports from the DOT, released in late June, planning for the BQE rehab would begin in 2017 and last a couple years before any actual construction would get underway. On this schedule, construction wouldn't be completed until 2025 to 2028, the city said.

But Tanvi Pandya, supervisor of the summertime BQE inspection, said at a public meeting on the project Nov. 1 that this timeline is much too relaxed, according to the Brooklyn Paper.

"At this point we really need to start planning," she said, "otherwise in 10 to 12 years we can expect that we’ll have to shut down the lanes day and night. ... There’s going to be major disruptions because obviously when people can’t go on the BQE they’re going to have to go on local streets."

While the inspection concluded that there were no immediate safety threats involved, the BQE was showing major durability issues — including joint leakage and a decaying façade that's exposing some of its internal structure to the elements.

In order to avoid huge traffic disruptions in Brooklyn over the next 10 to 12 years, the report recommended action be taken immediately to begin the process of repair.

To that end, DOT officials say they're currently collecting BQE traffic data in order to provide their design team with a more thorough understanding of local traffic patterns. And once they're done with that, officials say they hope to begin designing new parts for the BQE in early 2017 — although they will continue monitoring the state of the expressway closely until then.

The BQE carries more than 190,000 vehicles per day, according to the DOT. Its upcoming bridge rehab and replacement project is expected to cost $1.7 billion — including $659 million granted by the state to help fund the repairs.

Images courtesy of NYC DOT