Opinion: The Case for Letting the BQE Fail - Streetsblog New York City

The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway’s triple cantilever has survived 20 years past its designed lifespan, leading to an impasse over its future. While the city has implemented temporary measures like weight sensors and steel mesh to prevent falling concrete, residents previously rejected a $4 billion repair plan that would have closed the Brooklyn Heights Promenade for years.

Advocates now point to the 1973 collapse and subsequent removal of the West Side Highway as a potential blueprint. They argue that instead of a costly rebuild, the city could allow the structure to fail and reclaim the space for parkland, housing, and transit. This approach aims to reconnect neighborhoods severed by the highway while eliminating the noise and pollution caused by heavy traffic.

Summary by Dispatch AI — read the full story at Nyc.