Statement From NYSDOT New York City Regional Director Erik Koester

Statement From NYSDOT New York City Regional Director Erik Koester

Generations ago, the Bronx was ignored, and neighborhoods were forever changed by Robert Moses and the freeway construction he oversaw. In recent years, the State Department of Transportation has worked to right these past wrongs, working closely with neighborhoods that historically have been overlooked to successfully deliver generational projects like transforming the Sheridan Expressway into a boulevard and completing the $1.7 billion Hunts Point Access Improvement Project, taking 13,000 trucks off the local street network and opening new recreational opportunities at Starlight and Concrete Parks for residents of the South Bronx. To deliver these transformational projects, the State Department of Transportation listened to local residents and constructed projects that made a positive difference in their lives.

The Department is equally committed to delivering another project for borough residents which will lay the groundwork for even more ambitious improvements in the future. For over two years, we've been in constant dialogue with Bronx communities regarding a project to enhance safety and replace or rehabilitate five aging bridges along the Cross Bronx Expressway. Again, we listened, and based on community feedback, the Department significantly scaled back the project last year, eliminating elements that the community did not agree with while adding new elements at their request. Despite our best good faith efforts to bring this safety project forward, we have been unable to come to an agreement on how to successfully advance this project. As a result, the State Department of Transportation will not be releasing the final Environmental Assessment on the Cross Bronx Expressway Five Bridges Project and will suspend the project. Ensuring the long-term safety and resilience of this highway remains critical, and we will continue to monitor the bridges contained in this project, making repairs if required to preserve safety on this critical corridor.