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BQE Will Be Under Construction Until The End Of Time
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jan 5, 2012
Modified Jan 5, 2012
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By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jan 5, 2012
Modified Jan 5, 2012
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Today in Maddening News Of The New Year, we learn that the much-maligned BQE will continue to be under construction pretty much forever, as it has been for all time. It's not exactly new news, but at least we get some historical context for the headache.
“The perception of the public that the road is always under construction is accurate,” said Denise M. Richardson, the executive director of the General Contractors Association of New York, whose members built and now fix the roads. “Because what happens is, we have to close a lane, fix the lane, open the lane, and repeat the cycle.” Yes, it's all a vicious cycle that will never end until the end of time, or when every tire on every truck, cab and car gets sacrificed to the angry gods of road conditions. And it won't be getting better anytime soon—the state is too broke to make any major changes (i.e., rebuilding busted-ass sections near Brooklyn Heights and Gowanus or installing tunnels), so they'll just make do with minor, temporary fixes over and over again, even if they end up costing more in the long run.
Some have given up hope altogether: Lucille Plotz, an 85-year-old Columbia Heights resident, is used to the rumbles from the BQE breaking things in her house, earthquake-style. “If it was properly maintained it wouldn’t be a bother," she said. "But now it’s beyond just maintenance."
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