Brooklyn Leaders Fear BQE Can Collapse

By Y.M. Lowy

Brooklyn Officials have lost confidence in Mayor Eric Adams’ ability to address the crumbling triple cantilever sections of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.

Councilmember Lincoln Restler, State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, and U.S. Reps. Nydia Velázquez and Dan Goldman demanded immediate action in a letter to stabilize the highway, warning that its days are numbered. “We don’t know when it will no longer be safe,” they wrote, calling for a plan to keep the 1940s-era structure standing for another 20 years, as per a report in Gothamist.

They slammed years of inaction, noting the latest reconstruction plan won't begin until 2029, leaving the highway’s future uncertain.

Officials warned that short-term measures like reducing traffic lanes and installing overweight sensors aren’t enough to prevent catastrophe. Meanwhile, the federal government recently rejected the Adams administration’s $800 million request to help fund a design.

With safety at stake, the officials urged the city to act and fix it or risk disaster later.