State Department of Transportation Eliminates Construction of Traffic Diversion Structure from Consideration in Cross Bronx Expressway Project

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez today announced that the Department is no longer considering the use of a traffic diversion structure, or "community connector," in the project to replace or rehabilitate five bridges along the Cross Bronx Expressway. In response to feedback from the community, Options 1C and 1D - the last remaining options that included use of a diversion structure to handle expressway traffic during construction - are being withdrawn from consideration. The dismissal of these options will be documented in the forthcoming Environmental Assessment report. Option 2, which would employ staged construction instead of a diversion structure, will continue to be evaluated. The State Department of Transportation remains committed to engaging with the community at every step of the process as we proceed with this important project to enhance safety and improve connectivity along the Cross Bronx Expressway corridor.

"The feedback we received from the community made it clear that the use of a traffic diversion structure was a non-starter, so we have eliminated those options from consideration," said Commissioner Dominguez. "We will now move forward with reviewing the last remaining build option and we will continue to work with the community to progress this important project that needs to be done to fix these critical bridges, while enhancing safety and improving connectivity along this vital transportation corridor."

The project to replace or rehabilitate five bridges on the Cross Bronx Expressway is necessary to enhance public safety and preserve a vital travel artery that serves approximately 150,000 vehicles each day. This project is not an expansion of the highway. The bridges, which are located between Boston Road and Rosedale Avenue, were constructed between 1947 and 1958, and do not meet modern design standards for safety. They have suffered significant deterioration and have reached the end of their service lives.

As part of the ongoing environmental review process, several design options were initially considered to accommodate traffic during construction and provide multi-modal connectivity. Four of the options included the use of a traffic diversion structure (TDS) to detour expressway traffic away from the construction area, easing congestion and allowing construction to proceed at an expedited pace. Option 1A would have turned the TDS into a four-lane, post-construction roadway for local traffic and buses with a shared use path for pedestrians and cyclists. Option 1B would have converted the TDS into a two-lane post-construction roadway for exclusive bus use with a shared use path. Option 1C would have converted the TDS into a post-construction shared use path for bicycles and pedestrians only and Option 1D would have removed the traffic diversion structure after construction and created a new shared use path along the expressway.

During a series of public meetings earlier this year, community members expressed little support for TDS options. Options 1A and 1B were withdrawn from consideration in August and NYSDOT is now withdrawing Options 1C and 1D. The remaining Option 2 (which is now the only "Build Alternative") includes staged construction of the Five Cross Bronx bridges without a traffic diversion structure. It will continue to be reviewed as part of the ongoing environmental review process - both with and without a shared use path on the expressway. The review process will be documented in the forthcoming Environmental Assessment, which NYSDOT expects to be completed this fall. NYSDOT appreciates the community engagement in this project to date and looks forward to continued engagement as the project proceeds. A public comment period and public hearings will follow the formal release of the Environmental Assessment.

Learn more about the Cross Bronx Bridges project here.

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