Why the Famed Brooklyn Heights Promenade May Close for Years

NEW YORK — It is 1,825 feet of unparalleled views of Manhattan and New York Harbor that is known around the world and has captivated generations of visitors and inspired tributes in films and TV shows.

But what often gets lost in the moment is that the beloved Brooklyn Heights Promenade happens to sit atop a detested, yet vital highway, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, that is slowing falling apart.

Now a 1.5-mile stretch of the expressway is so rickety it needs to be replaced. That means big changes are coming to the promenade. And that has set off near panic about the fate of a cherished jewel of New York.

The pedestrian promenade is physically joined to the expressway, suspended over passing traffic below by an unusual triple-cantilever structure that is itself an engineering oddity. So what happens to one, by necessity, must happen to the other. But before anyone assumes the worst, let’s look at what’s on the table.

Built in sections between 1944 and 1948, the BQE is left over from the era of Robert Moses, the influential planner who laid roads across the city. It carries about 153,000 vehicles a day.

The New York City Department of Transportation has warned for years that repairs to the BQE are not optional. The roadway is supported by steel rods inside concrete, called rebar, but that rebar is corroding from road salt seeping in through cracks. The cracks are getting wider from freezing and thawing as well as moisture. As the rebar corrodes, the concrete weakens and is unable to support as much weight.

“Fortunately, it’s not falling down tomorrow,” said Polly Trottenberg, the city’s transportation commissioner. “But unfortunately, it’s really deteriorating.”

If nothing is done by 2026, city officials say weight restrictions will have to be imposed. Trucks will be rerouted onto local roads. By 2036, if not sooner, the city may have to shut down this 1.5-mile stretch. Meanwhile, emergency repairs could be required. If that happens, the traffic would be truly hellish.

The highway’s outdated design — including the narrow lanes and no shoulders in places — can make it a scary drive. City officials say the design has contributed to a high crash rate.

The department took the unusual step recently of unveiling two options. A precedent for this was set by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the subways, when it offered two options for addressing the closing of part of the L line for Hurricane Sandy-related repairs.

A temporary elevated roadway would be built at the level of the promenade, with part of the promenade converted into vehicle lanes. This would allow the city to replace the entire triple cantilever, while six lanes of traffic that currently run through its bottom two levels are diverted to the top.

City officials have said they prefer this option because they could do the most work in the shortest time. They would widen lanes and add shoulders to provide access for emergency vehicles, and also look at ways to improve nearby parks and pedestrian and bike connections.

With a temporary highway in place, drivers would see fewer delays. There would be less traffic being rerouted onto local roads.

The BQE’s six lanes would be closed one by one to reroute traffic around ongoing construction in what city officials call the traditional approach. Work would have to be stretched out over a longer period of time, and the schedule and cost are less certain.

Plan B would still allow the city to improve the safety of the highway, but there would be more delays and traffic backups from lane closings at night and on weekends.

Both Plans A and B would mean an end to the promenade in its current form. The walkway was originally built as a concession to Brooklyn Heights residents, serving as a cover over the two decks of traffic below. It offered a bit of breathing room for those who would soon find an expressway running beside their neighborhood.

Plan A would have the biggest impact. It would close much of the promenade for up to six years. City officials say that temporary platforms could be installed in places so that people could still enjoy the views.

Afterward, the temporary highway would be converted into a new promenade. In fact, the new promenade would be up to 35 feet wider than the old one. Trees would be replanted.

Plan B would close the promenade for a shorter period — two years instead of six years. It also would allow for a rolling system of closures so some of the promenade could be used during construction.

City officials presented their plans at a recent public meeting in Brooklyn, the beginning of what they expected to be a two-year community dialogue on how to best fix the BQE. Hundreds of borough residents showed up. Plan A got the loudest boos.

Others floated their own ideas.

— Build a temporary highway over Brooklyn Bridge Park — instead of the promenade — to divert traffic. Or even build it over the East River.

— Tunnel below for an underground expressway.

— Tear down the BQE and do not replace it.

— Tear down the BQE and replace it with a smaller highway after reducing the current traffic volume through tolling or congestion pricing.

— Do nothing at all.

“Leave it alone,” said Joe Ann Brown, 59, a school aide who lives in Park Slope and strolls the promenade with her daughter almost every weekend. “To me, you’re just going to bring in more congestion.”

Murray Schechter, 56, an information technology consultant in Brooklyn Heights, said that the city has focused too much on road improvements — at the expense of the promenade. “The promenade is what makes Brooklyn Heights,” he said. “I think they’re underweighing how important the promenade is to the neighborhood and to the city.”

Trottenberg promised that every option would be considered. The department will now study the environmental impacts of Plans A and B, as well as other options. No matter what happens next, the current promenade will have to be replaced.

The city has earmarked $1.7 billion for the BQE reconstruction, which will be the most expensive transportation project it has undertaken. But that is still only half of the projected cost. City officials say they are seeking additional funding from state and federal agencies.

Some residents are already bracing for the worst. Derval Whelan, 57, a film distribution executive who lives next to the promenade, said that she was considering moving to avoid the noise and disruption from the looming construction — and to not have to worry about the impact on the value of her property.

City officials say they do not expect to make a decision about a BQE plan until 2020, at the earliest.

Still, Trottenberg cautioned at the meeting that there would be no easy choices.

“As much as you might hate what we propose,” she told the audience, “I think what we found when we looked at it is that none of the options are going to be very lovable and that’s the challenge we face. And we’re sorry about that.”