Nighttime BQE ramp prep work delayed by rain

Will extend Columbia Street ramp work until July 14

July 7, 2023 Mary Frost

The BQE. Eagle file photo by Paul Frangipane

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BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Nighttime work on the Columbia Street ramps in preparation for extensive “interim repairs” on sections of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway’s (BQE) triple cantilever will be extended by a week, due to inclement weather.

The work on the ramps, originally scheduled to be completed by July 7, will continue until July 14, according to the NYC Department of Transportation’s Community Liaison Anita Navalurkar.

The nighttime traffic impacts due to this work will be:

Columbia Street entrance ramp to Staten Island-bound BQE – Closed.
Columbia Street exit ramp from the Staten Island-bound BQE – No left turn.
Northbound Columbia Street (Congress Street to exit ramp) – East sidewalk closed.

Southbound Columbia Street detour. Courtesy of NYC DOT

This summer’s extensive (and noisy) interim repairs will involve closing most of the busy highway between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street during three weekends and at night for seven to eight weeks from July to October, or possibly longer.

On June 29 during a virtual meeting, Tanvi Pandya, executive director of BQE Design Build & Emergency Contracts at NYC DOT, briefed more than 100 residents and local officials on the repairs and the estimated timeline.

“Everything about the nature of construction is not exact … so we will request patience if we are not able to give the exact answer right at the start,” she cautioned. Residents will be informed ahead of time when dates for weekend closures are set.

The work on deteriorated sections of the BQE underpinning the Brooklyn Heights Promenade includes concrete and rebar repairs of the deck, column and beam in the Clark Street Fan Plant area (aka Span 34); the BQE deck at Grace Court (Span 4); and the foundation of the Joralemon Street Garage, Pandya said. Weekend work will take place between 2 a.m. Saturdays to 4 a.m. Mondays.

Northbound Columbia Street detour. Courtesy of NYC DOT

The start of this work has already been pushed back because “it took longer to get the contractor,” Pandya said during the meeting. This could extend weekend closures into the fall, or possibly next spring.

Truck detour to South Columbia Street. Courtesy of NYC DOT

If the contractor can’t finish the interim repairs by the end of the “construction season,” which normally extends from March through October, some of the work might have to be delayed until 2024. “We’ll see how much we can squeeze in between now and November,” Pandya said, adding that rain and cold weather could cause additional delays.

To see the updated slides presented at that meeting, visit:

To join the DOT’s mailing list for this project, reach out to Anita Navalurkar at (347) 647-0876 or [email protected].