City wraps up weekend BQE closure 12 hours early

Traffic jams and horns, but could have been worse

April 16, 2024 Mary Frost

A traffic pileup of vehicles diverted off the BQE at the intersection of Cadman Plaza West and Tillary Street on Sunday. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

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COBBLE HILL — New York City Department of Transportation crews wrapped up long-planned repairs on the Triple Cantilever section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway a full 12 hours ahead of schedule on Sunday, relieving drivers of traffic headaches during the Sunday evening rush hour.

All Queens-bound lanes of the BQE were closed between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street starting 2 a.m. Saturday morning, and thousands of vehicles were diverted onto Atlantic Avenue. The Queens-bound BQE fully reopened on Sunday at 4 p.m. instead of the projected 4 a.m. Monday.

“Thanks to all of the dedicated crew members, the BQE has fully reopened — 12 hours ahead of schedule!” NYC DOT tweeted. “We appreciate all New Yorkers who took mass transit and minimized vehicle traffic in the area.”

The BQE repairs focused on adding new concrete and reinforcing steel bars at spans near Clark Street and Grace Court as part of near-term work to extend the lifespan of the badly-deteriorated Triple Cantilever while a longer-term solution can be devised.

Nonetheless, residents complained that traffic on cross streets — especially Court, Clinton and Henry streets — was backed up all weekend.

“Cobble Hill was gridlock traffic and honking all weekend,” said Amanda Sue Nichols, president of the Cobble Hill Association. “Hopefully DOT can come up with some options for the June closure that don’t encourage drivers to use Henry or Clinton as through streets.”

This driver blocked traffic on Sunday as she argued with a traffic agent who — yelling and pointing — prevented her from making a left onto Hicks Street from Atlantic Avenue. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

‘A small miracle’

Still, it could have been worse. On Saturday, the NYC Department of Design and Construction canceled last-minute plans to close the right-hand turning lane of Atlantic Avenue at Boerum Place on Sunday. The simultaneous traffic diversions at the same intersection had been criticized by Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who said a lack of coordination by city agencies would add to Sunday’s traffic chaos.

Fortunately, DDC found another way to dismantle an underground water meter related to the jail site that didn’t require digging up Atlantic Avenue, DDC spokesperson Ian Michaels told the Brooklyn Eagle on Saturday. “We were able to complete the work. There will be no shutdown.”

“Amazingly, the work related to the jail was accomplished without the dig. A small miracle,” Howard Kolins, president of the Boerum Hill Association, told the Eagle.

Even without the water meter dig, large trucks still got wedged in at that intersection, he said. “Traffic periodically backed up when 53’ trailers turned onto Boerum Place, only to get stalled in the back-up from signal traffic and volume. Everything stalled in all directions. Smith Street had similar issues at times.”

DOT’s traffic agents did their best, Kolins added. “Traffic agents did good work when drivers cooperated.”

During the weekend BQE closure, traffic agents on Atlantic Avenue had their hands full. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

“We appreciate the fast action on the part of Councilmember [Lincoln] Restler and the DDC team to recognize the problem with the Atlantic Avenue lane closure and working to avoid it,” said Justin Pollock, a member of the Brooklyn Borough-Based Jail Neighborhood Advisory Committee.

Still, there were congestion problems, Pollock said.

“The traffic agents did their best at the intersections but it appeared there wasn’t enough ticketing and towing of vehicles parked along the corridor,” he said.

DOT’s traffic agents worked particularly hard at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Hicks Street, fending off hundreds of drivers who wanted to turn directly onto Hicks after being forced off the BQE.

This reporter watched as one driver argued with a traffic agent who — yelling and pointing — physically prevented her from making a left onto Hicks, as cars piled up behind her. The driver only gave up trying to inch around him after a prolonged discussion.

“It was a little worse Saturday,” one pedestrian manager told the Eagle on Sunday. “It’s better today. I think they worked out the kinks.”