How Close Is the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to Collapse?

The crucial freight connection is ‘crumbling,’ but a decision on how to move forward with repairing and supplementing it continues to elude the city.

2 minute read

July 17, 2023, 6:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


View of green Bklyn-Qns Expwy sign on freeway

eldadcarin / Adobe Stock

Are fears of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway’s imminent collapse unfounded? Yes and no, according to an article by Clio Chang in Curbed.

Sam Schwartz, former New York City traffic commissioner, who spoke with Chang, says “the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway is that it isn’t going to collapse in the way you think it might.” However, Chang explains that “the most distressed stretch — the triple cantilever that runs from Sands Street to Atlantic Avenue — is crumbling, which raises all kinds of other unhappy scenarios.”

Even small pieces of falling concrete could pose serious danger to people and cars below. Schwartz warns that “The most likely scenario that could cause a serious problem is a hole through the deck: in other words, a pothole that goes all the way through and a truck hits that and could lose control.”

The city has explored various plans to solve the problem, but for Schwartz, “The question is, Can they be built without disrupting the community to such an extent? Brooklyn doesn’t have any other truck-route expressways that go through it, so this is the only route from the western United States via the Verrazzano Bridge.”

According to Schwartz, “the city just needs to pick a plan and sort of go with it” before it’s too late. “I’m recommending fewer lanes and not encouraging car traffic. Congestion pricing will work, but I don’t see a way of taking this expressway out at this time.”

Tuesday, July 11, 2023 in Curbed

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today