NEW YORK – On Monday, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the completion of Phase One of the state’s $ 1.7 billion Hunts Point Access Improvement Project on time and within budget.
This milestone marks the complete completion of the new and improved Edgewater Road access for motorists, taking thousands of trucks off local roads every day and improving access to the Hunts Point Terminal Market.
Phase one of the project includes new road signs to improve safety, community leisure spaces and safer access for pedestrians and cyclists. The $ 460 million Phase One contract is part of an unprecedented state investment to improve infrastructure and connectivity in the South Bronx, while improving the quality of life for residents.
“My administration is focused on building world-class infrastructure for the 21st century for New York, delivering transformation projects on time and on budget,” Governor Hochul said. “By taking thousands of trucks off local roads every day and giving drivers better access to the Hunts Point terminal market, we are improving the South Bronx experience for both business owners and residents. This project will make our roads more safe, it will connect people with their friends and family and create greener spaces for the community. “
With phase one completed, motorists, including the thousands of trucks that come and go from the Hunts Point Terminal Market each day, have new and improved access to Edgewater Road in the form of three new ramps.
This includes a two-way ramp to Edgewater Road from Sheridan Boulevard and a ramp from the Bruckner Expressway east to Edgewater Road. The project also included resurfacing Edgewater Road, installing new traffic signs on Seneca Avenue and Garrison Avenue, and a new shared-use route from Bruckner Boulevard to Lafayette Avenue.
The Hunts Point Terminal Market and other manufacturing activities near the facility are a vital economic engine for the Bronx, generating over $ 2 billion in economic activity annually. The Hunts Point Food Distribution Center supplies up to 60 percent of the produce, meat and fish used by New York City residents and visitors and employs over 6,000 workers. It attracts tens of thousands of vehicles a day and, prior to the completion of phase one of the project, used local roads, notably Westchester Avenue and Bruckner Boulevard, to get to and from the interstate.
In addition, a new shared-use route was built under the Bruckner Expressway to connect the new Garrison Park with the existing Concrete Plant Park, with five safety cameras installed along the new route to improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists while driving. . Via Verde.
Phase two of the $ 518 million project, currently underway, will rehabilitate 1.25 miles of the Bruckner Expressway between 141st Street and Barretto Street, widen the carriageway and build new on / off ramps connecting the Westbound Bruckner Expressway with Leggett Avenue. The ramps will provide a direct route between the road network and the Hunts Point Peninsula, including the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center, reducing truck traffic on local roads. Phase two is expected to be completed in the fall of 2023, according to the governor’s office.
The third and final phase, scheduled for completion in the fall of 2025, will remove the bottleneck at the Bruckner Expressway and Sheridan Blvd interchange by adding a third lane to the Bruckner in both directions. The project will replace the western span of the Bryant Avenue pedestrian bridge, completing the bridge replacement and improving ADA accessibility.
“Investing in communities like the Bronx is one of the best solutions to inequality,” said state senator Luis R. Sepúlveda. “Every investment in infrastructure improves the quality of life of our residents and reaffirms the social commitment we have to our constituents. I join Governor Kathy Hochul and her team in applauding the opening of this improvement at Hunts. Point Terminal Market “. safer spaces for our people, community spaces and safe access for cyclists and pedestrians, I am sure these improvements will be immediately appreciated by our communities ”.
In addition, plans are currently being developed for a new garage that will provide 24 fast-charging stations to better accommodate electric vehicles under the Bruckner Expressway and help further improve air quality in the South Bronx.
