BQE Central Project

Download a printable version of the BQE Central Project Overview (pdf)

BQE Central is the approximately 1.5-mile stretch of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street. NYC DOT owns BQE Central (12% of the BQE in Brooklyn) and New York State owns the rest. BQE Central has 21 bridges and structures, including the "triple cantilever", which has two levels of highway with the Brooklyn Heights Promenade above and a local street, Furman Street, below.

What is NYC DOT proposing?

NYC DOT is proposing to repair and strengthen BQE Central: this work is called rehabilitation. This would extend the life of the structure by approximately 40 years. NYC DOT will fix deteriorated parts of the structures, improve drainage and lighting, and replace or upgrade railings. The highway will remain two lanes and will not expand, nor will interchanges be altered.

Construction Overview

To avoid traffic diverting to local streets while making repairs, NYC DOT will build temporary roads, called bypasses*, next to parts of the existing highway. The bypasses will be removed after construction is complete.

A double bypass would travel over Furman Street from Atlantic Avenue to Columbia Heights, maintaining both directions of traffic. This bypass would be no higher than the existing Queens-bound level.

The current design shows a Queens-bound only bypass that would travel from Columbia Heights to just before the Manhattan Bridge, travelling over the BQE itself as well as the approach to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Construction is expected to begin in 2029 and finish by 2040. This includes building and dismantling the bypass.

Why is this project needed?

BQE Central carries people, goods, emergency vehicles, and freight through Brooklyn and the region. However, BQE Central is over 70 years old and needs repairs to remain safe for the traveling public and keep all these vehicles off local streets. This project would:

• Address structural deterioration
• Maintain regional connectivity and mobility
• Rehabilitate the Brooklyn Heights Promenade to keep it in a state of good repair
• Maintain the option for future long-term planning of the BQE corridor

Long-term construction activities will be underway for several years. That is why NYC DOT encourages your participation in the environmental review process.

Download a printable version of Why is the City Rehabilitating BQE Central? (pdf)

Work is Needed Now

BQE Central is more than 70 years old. Many parts of the structure have worn down over time. NYC DOT inspections have found cracked concrete, exposed steel, rust, water damage, and other signs of age. Some of the damage is on parts of the structure that supports the highway.

The highway is currently safe because NYC DOT has made targeted interim repairs and limited stress on the structure by implementing automated enforcement against overweight trucks and reducing traffic to two lanes on the triple cantilever. However, these steps do not address the level of repair needed in the long-term and a larger scale project is needed to safely maintain the infrastructure.

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Why not wait for a bigger plan?

The can has been kicked down the road for too long. The result is serious deterioration that can no longer be managed through temporary fixes. The City must pivot towards a rehabilitation plan to keep the structure safe and stable.

Waiting too long would make repairs harder, more expensive, and more disruptive to nearby communities and the region. 130,000 vehicles travel on the BQE daily, including 13,000 trucks. Further delay would result in removing trucks or all traffic from the highway and diverting them to local streets, creating unsafe conditions and severely impacting quality-of-life in surrounding neighborhoods.

NYC DOT will rehabilitate BQE Central now, while continuing to advance policies and initiatives that reduce long-term travel demand on the BQE and working with government and community partners on a longer-term plan for the full BQE corridor.

What Rehabilitation Means

Rehabilitation means repairing and strengthening the existing structure (extending its use for approximately 40 years), instead of replacing it (which would extend its use for 75+ years). The proposed work would repair the highway deck, walls, joints, and other parts of the structure. It would also improve drainage, lighting, and railings. The goal is to make BQE Central safer, extend its service life, and reduce the need for constant short-term repairs.

What are the public benefits of this project?

The main benefit is a safer and more reliable structure for 40 years. While the City and our partners work to shift more movement of people and goods to sustainable travel modes, right now we need to keep trucks and other traffic on the highway and off our local streets.

During this project, NYC DOT will also consider local street improvements near BQE Central where possible. We recognize the BQE's legacy and the burden it has placed on surrounding neighborhoods.

As the project moves forward, NYC DOT will pair this work with investments in safety, public space, and quality of life for communities with a focus on neighborhoods that have been most historically harmed by the impacts of the BQE.

Download a printable version of How Can I Participate? (pdf)

Environmental Review

Before the project can move forward, NYC DOT must study the short- and long-term effects of the project on the environment through a process called the City Environmental Quality Review, or CEQR. The review will look at how the project could affect nearby communities during construction and after construction. It will study topics such as:

• Open Space
• Air Quality
• Noise
• Historic Resources
• Transportation (including traffic)
• Neighborhood Character
• Construction Effects
• Any Potential Effects on Disenfranchised Communities

CEQR results in an Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS, which is a public document. It explains what the project is, what impacts it might have, and how those impacts could be avoided, minimized or otherwise mitigated.

Types of Comments During Scoping

We encourage you to provide comments related to:

• Project scope and rehabilitation measures
• Traffic, parking, walking, and biking
• Parks, public space, and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade
• Construction activities and their effects on the community
• Local safety and quality-of-life improvements
• Ways to reduce impacts on nearby residents, workers, businesses, and visitors

CEQR Timeline

• September 2026: Publish scoping notice
• November 2026: Public Scoping Meetings
• Early 2027: Final Scoping Report
• Late 2027: Draft EIS Release & Public Meetings
• Early 2028: Final EIS & Scoping Report

How to Get Involved

Public scoping meetings are an early and important step in the environmental review process. During scoping, the public can comment on what the EIS should study. This is a chance to raise concerns, ask questions, and suggest topics that should be reviewed.

NYC DOT plans to hold CEQR Public Scoping Meetings later this fall.

During these meetings, the public is invited to provide official comments. There will also be ways to provide comment outside of these meetings. Meeting details and comment instructions will be posted here, on the project website: nyc.gov/bqe.

How can I stay informed?

Check the project website for updates or attend a virtual or in-person Q&A. NYC DOT will also share information with community groups.

Formal comments should be submitted during the CEQR Public Comment Period, which will start later this fall. Information will be posted on this website about how to formally submit comments.

Stay Involved During Construction

Once the project starts, NYC DOT will implement a community advisory committee and hold regular office hours to address any quality-of-life concerns.