What to know
- This project is currently in the preliminary engineering phase. NYSDOT will meet with environmental leaders, Bronx community boards, and the public in the spring and summer of 2024.
- “Great things are happening in the South Bronx and we have every intention of maintaining that momentum, something this new grant and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act will help us achieve,” said Governor Hochul.
- That project will rehabilitate or replace five deteriorated bridges and access roads, and design and construct a new ramp connecting the southbound Bronx River Parkway to the westbound Cross Bronx Expressway.
NEW YORK — On Thursday, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the latest milestone in New York State’s unprecedented commitment to revitalize infrastructure throughout the South Bronx.
The New York State Department of Transportation received a $150 million federal grant to help transform an initial section of the Cross Bronx Expressway with the addition of a multi-modal community connector road, with dedicated bus lanes and pathways for bicycles and pedestrians, which would serve as a local connection between Boston Road to the west and Rosedale Avenue to the east.
“Great things are happening in the South Bronx and we have every intention of maintaining that momentum, something this new grant and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act will help us achieve,” said Governor Hochul. “Cross Bronx Expressway is an expressway with unlimited potential for transformation, and the allocation of these federal funds will lay a solid foundation to create the infrastructure necessary to continue reconnecting this community, just as we are doing in Hunts Point. While this is a first step in a long process, it is important that it will advance our goal of reconnecting communities by reimagining critical infrastructure to benefit the people who live there, while helping to alleviate the negative impacts of the vehicle traffic and pollution. “I thank the Biden-Harris Administration and all members of the New York congressional delegation who voted in favor of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and made this grant possible for the South Bronx.”
The grant, made possible through the National Infrastructure Assistance Program (MEGA)/Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, will help advance the historic progress being made to reconnect communities of the Bronx by correcting past planning errors, protecting health and improving safety.
Leveraging the State’s unprecedented investments to improve infrastructure in the South Bronx and improve the quality of life of its residents (investments including the current $1.7 billion Hunts Point Access Improvement Project and the recently completed Sheridan Boulevard) , the Cross Bronx Expressway multi-modal community connector is a critical component of the New York State Department of Transportation’s rehabilitation or replacement project of five Cross Bronx Expressway bridges between Boston Road and Rosedale Avenue, which will begin in 2026.
“When you look at the Cross Bronx Expressway, you see the huge lanes, the cars, the pollution and the disconnection,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer. “So, under the Biden-Harris administration, we finally had the opportunity to correct some of the infrastructure mistakes of the past, both in terms of pollution and traffic flow in the Bronx. Well, not only did we take advantage of the opportunity, but we We made the most of it to the tune of $150,000,000. This MEGA grant will help establish dedicated bus lanes, as well as bike and pedestrian paths. These are the current features of the infrastructure that The Bronx not only needs, but deserves, and I hope to start building soon.”
That project will rehabilitate or replace five deteriorated bridges and access roads, and design and construct a new ramp connecting the southbound Bronx River Parkway to the westbound Cross Bronx Expressway.
The multi-modal community connector road will serve as another step to address concerns community members have expressed for years about the need to provide greater east/west connectivity for pedestrians, bicyclists and traffic; and improve the accessibility of public transportation. The new connector will feature dedicated bus lanes and bike and pedestrian paths that will improve transportation connections for residents of neighborhoods on both sides of the Bronx River. Additionally, it will provide a direct connection to Starlight Park, a multi-faceted recreational amenity, and the Bronx River Greenway.
“We are thrilled that the Department of Transportation is providing $150 million to make the Cross Bronx Expressway more pedestrian- and transit-friendly,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “There is much to be done to address the historic environmental injustices of Robert Moses-era infrastructure, and this is a step in the right direction. We will not stop until we completely cover the Cross Bronx Expressway.”
The multi-modal community connector road will not only serve these important purposes when completed, but will also play a critical role as a temporary detour/bypass road that will negate the need for a long-term closure of one lane in each direction of the Cross Bronx Expressway and allow construction of the bridges to be completed in four years instead of six.
The project calls for a new bypass road to be built first, which will eliminate the need to divert traffic onto local streets and allow work to move faster and more efficiently. Once the bridge work is complete, the bypass would be reconfigured to become a multi-modal community connector providing new access to bike, pedestrian and bus lanes. It will also reconnect communities that have been separated for years, as there was no pedestrian connection over the train tracks and bus station located under the project’s bridges.
In addition to the new connector road, the good condition of repair work completed on all five bridges is critical to achieving the overall goals of a study the state and city are conducting to reimagine the Cross Bronx Expressway corridor.
This project is currently in the preliminary engineering phase. NYSDOT will meet with environmental leaders, Bronx community boards and the public in the spring and summer of 2024.
“An investment to revitalize the Cross Bronx Expressway is an investment in the future of our borough,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “Thank you to Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Department of Transportation for their leadership and commitment to advancing equity. We look forward to seeing this project become a reality and providing further support to our bicyclists, bus riders and pedestrians in the town”.
2024-01-26 04:19:39
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