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Gowanus Expressway Gone By 2020?
By
Jacob Dobkin
Published May 4, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jacob Dobkin
Published May 4, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Could it be true? The New York Post is reporting that the DoT has approved a plan to build a 3.5 mile, $12.8 billion, seven lane tunnel under the Brooklyn waterfront, and then demolish the existing Gowanus Expressway. If funded, the project could be complete in about 15 years. Since Robert Moses approved construction of the expressway over a disused elevated rail in 1939, the highway has been a huge headache for the city. It's perpetually under-construction, traffic clogged, and worst of all, it cuts off all of Red Hook and the Sunset Park Waterfront from the rest of Brooklyn. Just as the Cross Bronx Expressway cut off the South Bronx from the rest of the city and caused it to spiral into decline, Moses' Gowanus project resulted in a crime-ridden, rubble strewn Brooklyn waterfront, where there could have been a vibrant neighborhood filled with puppies and parks and families. That bastard!
Some more info on the Gowanus: official history from NYC Roads, the DOT site has a list of 5 tunnel alternatives (most run along the route shown above), Transportation Alternatives has been keeping track of Gowanus proposals for five years, and Wikipedia has an unexpectedly informative Gowanus Expressway page.
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Jacob Dobkin
Jake Dobkin co-founded Gothamist with Jen Chung. In 2019, Jake released Ask a Native New Yorker, a book based on his Gothamist advice column.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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