A Brooklyn Commuter's Nightmare: BQE Construction to Start Right After L Train Shutdown

BROOKLYN, NY — Brooklyn commuters already know to brace for the impending 2018 L train construction, but on Monday they found out that compounding the L train closure will be a massive five-year $1.7 billion construction project on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, beginning just two years after the L train shutdown, in 2020.

The city announced on Monday its most expensive construction project ever on the BQE, which has decayed so badly since it was built in the 1940s that inspectors said they believe it will need emergency repairs within the next decade.

The Department of Transportation hasn't laid out the details of its construction plans and how the project will affect traffic from 2020 to 2025, when it is projected to be underway. But city transportation officials told the New York Times that "part of the highway" will remain open during construction, according to the Times. That includes the same number of lanes in each direction, and traffic will not be diverted to local streets, according to the DOT.

Patch reached out to the DOT to clarify exactly how many lanes will be open and when during construction, and we will update when we hear back.

The construction project will work on the section of the expressway in Brooklyn between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street, where the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is situated.

The DOT said part of the Brooklyn Promenade, a popular walkway with skyline views, will remain open throughout construction.

The BQE carries more than 190,000 vehicles per day, according to the DOT. Its design is outdated and unsafe, officials said. The BQE has a particularly high crash rate due to its narrow lanes and lack of shoulder lanes and acceleration lanes for merging, NYC Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said. This construction project could be the key to keeping the crash rate down, she said.

Photo credit: DOT