Queensboro Bridge's Extended Lane Closure Starting Within Days

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — Repair work that will shut down lanes of traffic on the Queensboro Bridge for nearly two years is set to begin in earnest on Monday.

The major project will fully replace the upper deck of the aging, 113-year-old bridge, extending its lifespan by between 50 and 75 years, according to the city.

Starting 9 p.m. Friday, both Queens-bound vehicle lanes on the bridge's upper level will be fully closed overnight, while equipment for the deck replacement is delivered.

Then, starting Monday, Feb. 14, one Manhattan-bound lane on the upper level will be fully closed, while the second Manhattan-bound lane will be closed during off-peak hours. To mitigate traffic impact during the off-peak closures, one of the existing Queens-bound lanes on the upper level will be reversed to run toward Manhattan.

"Motorists are strongly encouraged to take mass transit or seek alternate routes as crews carry out the complete replacement of the 113-year-old bridge’s upper level," the Department of Transportation said in a news release.

Initially slated to be completed by 2022, the city recently revealed that the upper deck replacement would not be done until late 2023. That news infuriated safe-streets advocates, since a separate project to expand bike and pedestrian lanes on the Queensboro Bridge cannot begin until the upper level is replaced.

Read more about the project on this flier from the Department of Transportation.

Related coverage:

• Long-Awaited Queensboro Bridge Repairs Delayed, Angering Pols
• Queensboro Bike Lane Will Help Form East Side Network, City Says
• Part Of Queensboro Bridge Roadway To Be Converted Into Bike Lane