Mamdani Unveils $4B BQE Central Overhaul Set for 2030 Start

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a $4 billion plan to repair the 1.5-mile BQE Central, a city-owned stretch of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, including aging concrete and cantilever work. The plan calls for two temporary bypasses—one over Furman Street and another from Columbia Heights to the Manhattan Bridge—so traffic remains on the highway during reconstruction. Environmental review begins this fall, with construction expected to start in 2030 and last about 10 years, extending the highway’s life by roughly 40 years and serving about 130,000 daily vehicles while avoiding disruption to local streets.