OPINION: Bite the bullet, start the rebuilding of the BQE now
We feel for the people who live in the luxury homes that line the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. If the proposed plan to repair the Brooklyn Queens Expressway goes forward, their lives will be disrupted for as long as six years. Some may have to temporarily relocate.
But we also have concern for the drivers of the 153,000 vehicles that crawl along the BQE each day on their trek from the Verrazano Bridge to the eastern boundary of Queens and back. Under current conditions, that 27-mile ride can easily take two hours or longer on a good day.
More importantly, we are concerned about the potential for a disaster if the aging, crumbling portion of the highway now under consideration should suddenly collapse. Bear in mind, this is not a parkway. Eighteen-wheelers and other large trucks share this highway with passenger vehicles. In addition, there are large stretches with no shoulder where a car or truck can pull over. A fender-bender or flat tire can and often does tie-up traffic for hours.