DOT begins BQE work to reduce lanes, fine heavy trucks

'Lane squeeze' from 3 to 2 to start Monday

August 27, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

The BQE. Eagle file photo by Paul Frangipane

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The New York City Department of Transportation is beginning work along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in Brooklyn to extend the life of the deteriorating cantilever roadway below the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

DOT will shift lane markings on the BQE from Atlantic Avenue to the Brooklyn Bridge from three to two lanes in both directions, starting on Monday, Aug. 30.

The changing of the lane markings along the half-mile segment from Atlantic Avenue to the bridge is being done after recommendation by an “Expert Panel” convened by the city in 2019, according to DOT. The use of two wider lanes is expected to improve entry lanes at Atlantic Avenue, reduce weight along this critical segment, make the roadway safer, and reduce delays caused by breakdowns and collisions.

“This lane remarking may be inconvenient for some, but it is essential to making the road safer immediately and for decades to come,” said DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman, a Brooklyn Heights resident.

Other phases of the work on the BQE include installing “weigh-in-motion” technology to automatically fine overweight trucks that put undue strain on the structure; completing ongoing concrete and rebar repairs on the Hicks Street retaining wall; starting work on two deck spans showing faster signs of deterioration, and more, according to the DOT.

As this critical work proceeds, DOT will continue to address traffic effects in the local communities through monitoring, enforcement and traffic management. DOT also launched a public notification campaign including radio ads, social media notifications, variable message highway signs throughout the area, direct notifications to key stakeholders, and additional online information.

“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,” a statement from the DOT read.