The New York State Department of Transportation has shelved the $900 million Cross Bronx Expressway Five Bridges Project in New York City, saying it was “unable to come to an agreement” with the community on how to advance work.
NYSDOT New York City Regional Director Erik Koester said the department will not be releasing the project’s final environmental assessment after “good faith efforts to bring this safety project forward” were unsuccessful, and the project is now suspended.
Koester said the department will continue to monitor the bridges and make repairs to ensure their safety.
The full project aimed to address geometric, structural and operational deficiencies within the Bronx bridges — which were built between 1947 and 1958 and experiencing steel and concrete erosion and deterioration — including their seismic performance. NYSDOT believed improvements would enhance the flow of traffic, reduce the amount of required weaving and improve community multimodal connectivity.
The project had faced backlash within the community, according to a report from Fox 5 News, over concerns it would worsen air quality and expand the highway.
Part of Koester’s statement points to NYSDOT’s effort in recent years to “right … past wrongs” in the Bronx, including how building the Cross Bronx Expressway in the 1940s divided and negatively impacted the borough. Koester highlighted NYSDOT’s transformation of the Sheridan Expressway into a boulevard and the $1.7 billion Hunts Point Access Improvement project, which removed 13,000 trucks from local street networks.
The Cross Bronx Expressway carries 150,00 vehicles per day in certain areas and is one of the most heavily traveled roads in New York City, according to NYSDOT.
The project’s environmental assessment was initiated in September 2024, and construction was forecast to be completed in 2032.
