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New York, NY - Brooklyn Heights Braces For BQE Renovation |
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The state is looking to renovate the section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway major near Brooklyn Heights over the next 10 years, but locals are concerned about the construction's impact
The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway was state of the art some 50 years ago. Yet while there have been capital improvements over the years the structure is starting to feel its age.
"The structure itself represents the design features of 50 years ago, which means there are really no shoulders," said Peter King of the State Department of Transportation.
The state DOT recently completed an in-depth inspection of a stretch of the BQE from Atlantic Avenue to Sands Street, and found that while the structure is sound, it is due for an upgrade.
Its findings show there are 10 times more accidents here than the statewide average for a comparable interstate highway.
"We want modern pavements, a more modern alignment to the extent that we can get it. Those features all help the motorist to drive more safely," said King.
The DOT is getting ready to start the public review process so it can rehabilitate the highway.
It will be an extensive project, one that's expected to take nearly 10 years to complete, which causes concern for residents of the adjacent neighborhoods like the historic district of Brooklyn Heights.
"We're really really worried about what the impact of the rehabilitation years is going to be on our local streets," said Judy Stanton of the Brooklyn Heights Association.
Motorists already take to the local streets when the BQE gets backed up, but the impact of a such a major construction project could likely be worse.
"Houses will crack. I mean, foundations will suffer," said Stanton. "These little streets cannot accommodate those big trucks."
Still, the Brooklyn Heights Association says it is in favor of the project because of the roadway's deteriorating condition.
The crumbling part of the BQE is one of the last remaining parts yet to be redone on the highway, which stretches from Astoria, Queens to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. But it is also the most challenging, given its multiple levels and proximity to historically-significant neighborhoods and the burgeoning Brooklyn Bridge Park.
The first public hearing on this project will be held on Monday, June 22 in the auditorium at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University at 5 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn. The hearing's two different sessions will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. and from 7 to 10 p.m.
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Read Comments (18) — Post Yours »
1
Jun 20, 2009 at 10:42 PM Anonymous Says:
Oh vei - this means another 10 years of traffic on the bqe..
2
Jun 20, 2009 at 11:47 PM what we really need Says:
robert moses originally planned a major highway that would follow the (now abandoned) rail line through the heart of bklyn (can be seen next to the lubavitch yeshiva on ocean pkwy). without it, or something similar, we are locked into the overcrowded and dilapidated BQE and Belt. something has got to give
3
Jun 20, 2009 at 11:46 PM Anonymous Says:
Let them build a new highway on the water
4
Jun 20, 2009 at 11:12 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Oh vei - this means another 10 years of traffic on the bqe.. ”
Tell when was the last time that there was not any traffic on the BQE.
5
Jun 20, 2009 at 11:06 PM Anonymous Says:
For the last 25 years there is construction going on on the gowanus expwy it did not help a thing and they never finished just give it up.
6
Jun 21, 2009 at 12:10 AM Aron Says:
“ For the last 25 years there is construction going on on the gowanus expwy it did not help a thing and they never finished just give it up. ”
I beg to to differ. The now 3 lane transfer from the BQE to the Gowanus Expressway (that left curve at the BQE exit for the Battery Tunnel completed about 10 years ago) is a HUGE improvement.
They are now completing the transfer from the Gowanus to the BQE and soon after the exit from the Prospect Expressway to the Gowanus - hopefully, they will have a similar positive impact on the traffic.
7
Jun 21, 2009 at 12:01 AM Anonymous Says:
And just last week we joked how the BQE was finished with it's construction from brooklyn to queens after 50 years of work and now this? Oh my!
The worst stretch of the entire bqe is the Atlantic Ave exit. There is an average of 15 accidents at Atlantic Ave and it got to the point where the city has a truck at location just waiting for the next accident cleanup!
8
Jun 21, 2009 at 08:18 AM Anonymous Says:
Tell me you guys still use that highway I thought everyone got smarter!!!!
9
Jun 21, 2009 at 08:15 AM Anonymous Says:
“ I beg to to differ. The now 3 lane transfer from the BQE to the Gowanus Expressway (that left curve at the BQE exit for the Battery Tunnel completed about 10 years ago) is a HUGE improvement.
They are now completing the transfer from the Gowanus to the BQE and soon after the exit from the Prospect Expressway to the Gowanus - hopefully, they will have a similar positive impact on the traffic. ”
Tell me what time I should drive there to see this big difference you are talking about???????
10
Jun 21, 2009 at 01:19 AM Anonymous Says:
“ robert moses originally planned a major highway that would follow the (now abandoned) rail line through the heart of bklyn (can be seen next to the lubavitch yeshiva on ocean pkwy). without it, or something similar, we are locked into the overcrowded and dilapidated BQE and Belt. something has got to give ”
That line is not abandoned - it's an active freight line, owned by the LIRR and leased to the NY&A Railroad. It generally runs between seven and ten freight trains per week.
11
Jun 21, 2009 at 09:27 AM Z. N. Mishegoss Says:
“ robert moses originally planned a major highway that would follow the (now abandoned) rail line through the heart of bklyn (can be seen next to the lubavitch yeshiva on ocean pkwy). without it, or something similar, we are locked into the overcrowded and dilapidated BQE and Belt. something has got to give ”
Thanks to #10, you beat me to it.
I've seen the plans for that road, which would have been called the Cross-Brooklyn Expressway, and which unlike using the existing freight line for rail purposes, would've been a major disruptor for all of Brooklyn. If this road had gone in, Borough Park, Kensington, Midwood and Flatbush would all look like the neighborhoods next to the Cross Bronx Expressway.
Here's a description of the section of the planned road: "Proceeding easterly at New Utrecht Avenue, the expressway would pass under the West End Division's elevated tracks and the surface streets. At McDonald Avenue, the IND Coney Island's tracks would be similarly treated. Underpinning will permit uninterrupted service on the lines during construction. From New Utrecht Avenue east to Nostrand Avenue, the depressed roadway would lie north of the railroad, requiring a substantial relocation of the LIRR and a petroleum products distribution site. To accommodate the expressway and railroad, property acquisition would be required on the north side of 61st Street and the railroad from 12th Avenue to just west of Ocean Parkway, and on the south side of the railroad from McDonald Avenue to Nostrand Avenue. At Nostrand Avenue, the eight-lane construction would end, and six lanes would be provided easterly of this point. From Nostrand Avenue to Brooklyn Avenue, the six-lane expressway would pass through an area restricted on both sides by substantial existing and proposed buildings."
Although I support using the rail line and the cross-harbor tunnel (no, I am NOT Jerry Nadler!) such a road would indeed be sticking a knife into the heart of Brooklyn. The railroad is there, it's not terribly obtrusive, and if you electrify it, not terribly noisy. Even with diesel locomotives, running freight on that line is still vastly more fuel efficient and friendly to the environment and neighborhoods than thousands of daily trucks.
Of course, the last time I said this here, some bullvon said I should be ashamed of myself.
12
Jun 21, 2009 at 09:45 AM Anonymous Says:
“ I beg to to differ. The now 3 lane transfer from the BQE to the Gowanus Expressway (that left curve at the BQE exit for the Battery Tunnel completed about 10 years ago) is a HUGE improvement.
They are now completing the transfer from the Gowanus to the BQE and soon after the exit from the Prospect Expressway to the Gowanus - hopefully, they will have a similar positive impact on the traffic. ”
the 3 lanes are not even open yet, and the gowanus segment right before the battery tunnel is the ONLY 5 lane highway in nyc. we need EVERY highway to be widened to 5 lanes in each direction -the fdr the entire bqe the belt and the van wyck. (well everything except maybe the jackie.) they should even add an extra lane to the grand central.
also to alleviate traffic the construction should ONLY be done between 11pm and 5 am. and after the 5 lanes are constructed the speed limits on all nyc highways should be raised by 10-15 mph.
also access - a - rides should be narrowed by 2 feet and the drivers should be given mandatory iq tests.
13
Jun 21, 2009 at 11:09 AM a yid Says:
Why don't they build double decker roads?
14
Jun 21, 2009 at 11:46 AM MR. Bulvan to you Says:
“ Thanks to #10, you beat me to it.
I've seen the plans for that road, which would have been called the Cross-Brooklyn Expressway, and which unlike using the existing freight line for rail purposes, would've been a major disruptor for all of Brooklyn. If this road had gone in, Borough Park, Kensington, Midwood and Flatbush would all look like the neighborhoods next to the Cross Bronx Expressway.
Here's a description of the section of the planned road: "Proceeding easterly at New Utrecht Avenue, the expressway would pass under the West End Division's elevated tracks and the surface streets. At McDonald Avenue, the IND Coney Island's tracks would be similarly treated. Underpinning will permit uninterrupted service on the lines during construction. From New Utrecht Avenue east to Nostrand Avenue, the depressed roadway would lie north of the railroad, requiring a substantial relocation of the LIRR and a petroleum products distribution site. To accommodate the expressway and railroad, property acquisition would be required on the north side of 61st Street and the railroad from 12th Avenue to just west of Ocean Parkway, and on the south side of the railroad from McDonald Avenue to Nostrand Avenue. At Nostrand Avenue, the eight-lane construction would end, and six lanes would be provided easterly of this point. From Nostrand Avenue to Brooklyn Avenue, the six-lane expressway would pass through an area restricted on both sides by substantial existing and proposed buildings."
Although I support using the rail line and the cross-harbor tunnel (no, I am NOT Jerry Nadler!) such a road would indeed be sticking a knife into the heart of Brooklyn. The railroad is there, it's not terribly obtrusive, and if you electrify it, not terribly noisy. Even with diesel locomotives, running freight on that line is still vastly more fuel efficient and friendly to the environment and neighborhoods than thousands of daily trucks.
Of course, the last time I said this here, some bullvon said I should be ashamed of myself. ”
You are very very wrong about the rail line. It is a major not a minor disruption. The studies deliberately do not measure the impact on the surrounding residential areas. The line was recently upgraded to accommodate taller and heavier trains. And no it is not a minor inconvenience. In addition a hudson river crossing can be done closer to the city without the massive disruption the would be inherent with a project of this magnitude. You are willing to create real problems for some possible future benefits. And yes the pain would be borne by regular people. Does that make me a bulvan or you at best ignorant. uncaring
15
Jun 21, 2009 at 12:02 PM bigwheeel Says:
“ the 3 lanes are not even open yet, and the gowanus segment right before the battery tunnel is the ONLY 5 lane highway in nyc. we need EVERY highway to be widened to 5 lanes in each direction -the fdr the entire bqe the belt and the van wyck. (well everything except maybe the jackie.) they should even add an extra lane to the grand central.
also to alleviate traffic the construction should ONLY be done between 11pm and 5 am. and after the 5 lanes are constructed the speed limits on all nyc highways should be raised by 10-15 mph.
also access - a - rides should be narrowed by 2 feet and the drivers should be given mandatory iq tests. ”
...I mostly agree with the last line of your post...!!!
16
Jun 21, 2009 at 01:38 PM Z. N. Mishegoss Says:
“ You are very very wrong about the rail line. It is a major not a minor disruption. The studies deliberately do not measure the impact on the surrounding residential areas. The line was recently upgraded to accommodate taller and heavier trains. And no it is not a minor inconvenience. In addition a hudson river crossing can be done closer to the city without the massive disruption the would be inherent with a project of this magnitude. You are willing to create real problems for some possible future benefits. And yes the pain would be borne by regular people. Does that make me a bulvan or you at best ignorant. uncaring ”
True Mr. Bulvan, the construction would be a major disruption, I'll concede that point. However, please tell me how it's going to impact on the surrounding areas if there are sound barriers installed on the cut and if electric locomotives are used to keep the pollution and noise level down. In this day and age, any such trains will be container trains, not carload or less than carload stuff that's going to require noisy switching operations, there are very few local industries still existing on the line. Realistically, any transfer point or unloading point for the freight is going to be nowhere near the heimishe neighborhoods - the closest industrial areas would be probably around the Brooklyn Terminal Market in the north part of Canarsie where such a thing could be built, but in all likelihood, the best place for such a freight transfer would be up in the Fresh Pond area in Queens where the Bay Ridge line meets the Long Island Railroad and the Hell Gate Bridge line.
Again - with noise abatement, covering the cut whenever possible, and the use of electric propulsion, where's the major disruption to the neighborhoods? The subway is far noisier, and the ambient street noise is pretty loud anyway - you're in Brooklyn, not Sullivan County after all.
I know, I should be ashamed of myself. I'm an ignorant moron, according to you.
17
Jun 21, 2009 at 11:12 PM Former BP'er Says:
I dont know what to tell these people who live near the highway and whom I would imagine KNEW the highway was there before they bought property in the area. I feel bad for them however this is work that MUST be done.
I also recall reading about the cross brooklyn highway a number of years ago and it intrigued me as I lived on 50th street near the right of way. I have been to Detroit where the highway cuts right thru the area and from what I have seen, it isnt as bad as my elterin were afraid it would be when the idea was frist brought up in the 50s or 60s. They are able to build the highway in such a way that it would keep the neighborhoods above in tact. For the most part unless you are really looking, you dont even see it and you heardly hear it.
I didnt realize they still use the rail line there as much as someone above me claimed they do. As a kid I remember a smattering of trains going by there a month. I have some recollections of LIRR passenger trains passing thru there (pulled by a locomotive) as well, probably from NY Harbor to the LIRR line on the other end.
18
Jun 22, 2009 at 09:05 AM Z. N. Mishegoss Says:
#17 - those were probably troop trains. Full passenger service on the branch stopped in 1927, and there was "boat train" service (trains coming in from Chicago were taken all the way to Bay Ridge to meet some transatlantic boats that docked there) as late as '40 or '41, but after that, it was strictly troop trains. The most famous passenger of those trains, incidentally, was none other than Elvis Presley.