You are reading

State Completes $17 Million Upgrade to Bridge on Astoria Boulevard

The NYS DOT has completed a $17 million rehabilitation project of a bridge on Astoria Boulevard (Courtesy of NYSDOT)

July 7, 2022 By Czarinna Andres

Governor Kathy Hochul announced last week that the state has completed a $17 million upgrade to a bridge on Astoria Boulevard that spans the eastbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway ramp—and takes traffic to the eastbound Grand Central Parkway.

The revamp, which took 18 months to complete, has seen the bridge’s existing steel beams replaced and a new roadway surface put down, which the state DOT says will provide motorists with a smoother drive.

The bridge, a well-traveled roadway that serves as an important access route to LaGuardia Airport, has also seen its lighting upgraded.

“Revitalizing our transportation infrastructure across New York to better serve our communities is one of my top priorities, which is why we invested in rehabilitating this bridge carrying Astoria Boulevard — a vital connection along a corridor that not only provides access to LaGuardia Airport but is also home to many stores and businesses in Queens,” Hochul said in a statement.

The state DOT has replaced the bridge’s existing steel beams with new, rust-resistant beams to reduce the need for painting. The project features stainless-steel reenforced bars to prevent corrosion inside the roadway deck and has fewer joints in order to reduce water leakage and minimize damage to structural elements.

Additional improvements include a new drainage system, LED lighting above and below the bridge, bridge safety barriers, fencing, and upgraded utilities including new water, electric, and gas lines. The project also features a new sidewalk on the south side of the bridge that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“This much-needed project in Queens will improve travel on one of the borough’s most important roadways and represents our continued commitment to modernizing our infrastructure,” said New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez.

State Sen. Jessica Ramos said the bridge provides a critical link between two main transit arteries in Queens, one that has proven dangerous.

“As the upgrades to LaGuardia Airport continue, I’m deeply appreciative for the investments in making sure the surrounding areas get the care they need to handle the expected increased traffic for the long-term,” she said.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said the revamp is an important step toward improving access to LaGuardia Airport and to easing the traffic flow in the entire nearby area.

“Motorists who use this section of Astoria Boulevard will soon find getting to LaGuardia and other locations in Queens to be much easier and safer,” Richards said.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Deadly Belt Parkway crash claims lives of Springfield Gardens man and Manhattan mother: NYPD

A Springfield Gardens man and a passenger in his car died after they were involved in a multi-vehicle chain-reaction crash on the Belt Parkway near Kennedy Airport on the morning of Saturday, July 5.

Noah Thompson, 24, of 179th Street, was behind the wheel of a white BMW 428i traveling eastbound on the Belt Parkway in Howard Beach at 6:05 a.m. when he failed to navigate the roadway approaching the Nassau Expressway exit.

Man in his 50s sought for exposing himself to 13-year-old on E train in Forest Hills: NYPD

Police from the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills and Transit District 20 are looking for a suspect who allegedly flashed a 13-year-old girl on a Queens subway train last month.

The victim was riding a southbound E train approaching the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station at around 1 p.m. on Monday, June 30, when she saw a stranger exposing himself to her, police said Wednesday. The perpetrator ran off the train at the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station and fled in an unknown direction. The youngster was not injured during her encounter with the stranger.