Skip to content

They Come to Bury the BQE, Not to Praise It

The Brooklyn Paper reports that there's talk brewing about seizing an opportunity to bury the section of the BQE that runs underneath the Promenade, rather than simply repair it (right, the Atlantic Ave. overpass where the roadway rises near the site of the proposed Brooklyn Bridge Park and the One Brooklyn condo development):

bqe.JPGThe Brooklyn Paper reports that there’s talk brewing about seizing an opportunity to bury the section of the BQE that runs underneath the Promenade, rather than simply repair it (right, the Atlantic Ave. overpass where the roadway rises near the site of the proposed Brooklyn Bridge Park and the One Brooklyn condo development):

Some Brooklyn Heights residents now want to replace the part of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that runs beneath the famed Promenade with a tunnel. “The beauty of a tunnel is it can [go] anywhere,” said Democratic District Leader Jo Anne Simon at a Tuesday meeting with the state transportation officials. The current plan for repairing the busy highway calls for rebuilding the steel and concrete decks, but Simon sees “an opportunity” to fix a “cockamamie” design once and for all, noting that one such tunnel was built beneath the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. A Department of Transportation said the state would “look at a tunnel option if there was a strong consensus that [it] must be looked at.”


Photo: Sarah Goodyear

Photo of Sarah Goodyear
Sarah Goodyear is a journalist and author who has covered cities and transportation for publications such as Grist, CityLab, and Streetsblog.

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog New York City

Pride Protected: LGBTQ Groups Thwart Cop Security Cordon Plan For Washington Square Park

June 12, 2026

Department of Trucks: Brooklynites Beg for Relief on Third Ave. as Safety Redesign Stalls

June 12, 2026

OPINION: G Train Riders Deserve Better Buses During Ongoing Shutdowns

June 12, 2026

Friday Video: What Happens When World Cup Fans Come to America

June 12, 2026

Friday’s Headlines: Kids on Bikes Edition

June 12, 2026
See all posts