Mamdani Unveils $4 Billion Plan to Repair Brooklyn-Queens Expressway

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has unveiled a $4 billion plan to repair a deteriorating section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, with construction expected to begin in 2030 and take about a decade to complete.

The plan focuses on a 1.5-mile section known as “BQE Central,” which is owned by the city. The project will address aging concrete and the highway’s triple-cantilever structure, which city officials say are in urgent need of repairs.

As part of the project, the New York City Department of Transportation plans to build a temporary, two-level highway bypass along Furman Street, below the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, running from Atlantic Avenue to Columbia Heights.

A second temporary elevated bypass would extend from Columbia Heights over the Brooklyn Bridge approach toward the Manhattan Bridge. City officials say the temporary roads will allow traffic to continue moving while construction is underway and help prevent thousands of vehicles from being diverted onto local streets.

“We cannot wait any longer. We’re done kicking the can down the road,” Mamdani said, adding that the temporary roads would keep the highway operating during construction.

Mamdani said the project would be financed with city funds and that he does not expect federal funding to be used.

The BQE is more than 20 years beyond its original design life and carries more than 130,000 vehicles each day. According to the city, delaying repairs costs an estimated $160 million each year.

The mayor said the planned work is expected to extend the highway’s useful life by another 40 years.

The city Department of Transportation is expected to begin the environmental review process this fall, with construction scheduled to start in 2030.