BQE Shifts To 2 Lanes From Atlantic Avenue To Brooklyn Bridge

NEW YORK CITY — A stretch of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway now contains two lanes instead of three after a lane shift in both directions went into effect Monday.

Over the weekend, Department of Transportation officials replaced the three traffic lanes from Atlantic Avenue to the Brooklyn Bridge with two wider lanes and a shoulder.

The three lanes were of a "sub-standard width," the city said in a news release, and the shift was made to reduce weight, minimize delays caused by breakdowns and collisions and provide drivers with dedicated entrance and exit lanes.

DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman called it "essential to making the road safer immediately and for decades to come."

The lane shift is part of the Department of Transportation's plan to extend the life of the BQE – a plan that also includes ongoing maintenance work and the installation of technology that will automatically fine overweight trucks and track the structure's behavior under traffic.

"The City is focused on continually maintaining and preserving the existing structure as the work begins and working with all stakeholders to develop a long-term, community-based vision for the entire corridor," the news release said.