Construction Debris Adds to Chaos on Bruckner Expressway

Wooden planks sit under the ramps of the Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx, and construction equipment remains on the site even though the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) said it is finished with reconstruction. Traffic is chaotic and locals worry about safety.

Carolyn Franco walks through the Bruckner Expressway in Hunts Point frequently to make her way to the local Food Stamps Center. “Walking by there is so anxiety-inducing and scary. I speed walk or do a little run,” Franco said. “Even though there’s crosswalks you have to be on high alert that a car won’t hit you or someone is not going to run up on you.”

Incomplete area on the Bruckner Expressway at Hunts Point in the Bronx. Photo by Katelyn Polanco.

The expressway runs for seven miles and cuts through the neighborhoods of Port Morris, Hunts Point, Bronx River, Soundview, Throgs Neck, Schuylerville, Country Club, and Pelham Bay Park. It connects to several major freeways including the Bronx River Parkway, Cross Bronx Expressway and the Hutchinson River Parkway. 

The completed half mile section of the Bruckner, between 141st Street, the Major Deegan Expressway and the Robert F. Kennedy bridge cost $203 million. The NYSDOT project included repairing the expressway’s infrastructure and reinforcing concrete piers and steel girders. Barriers, railings, and drainage structures have been replaced along with an installment of LED lighting to ensure safety for pedestrians and motorists.

Diane Park, public information officer for NYSDOT said, “Currently, we are advancing a $1.7 billion three-contract project in a different location on the Bruckner.” Park also said the third contract is expected to be completed in the fall of 2025.

In 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the third and final phase of the Hunts Point project. “This new phase of the project includes the reconstruction of the Bruckner Expressway interchange with Sheridan Boulevard and other improvements that will reduce congestion, enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety and provide easier access to the Hunts Point Terminal Market.”

But neither the governor nor the public information office addressed the problem of the debris and seeming lack of concern for the people who have to live with it and near it. The construction and debris add to the traffic mess. New York Police Department (NYPD) Traffic agents give signals to pedestrians and drivers, but cars pile up and honk as they approach the Bruckner Expressway at Hunts Point Avenue, where congestion is always intense.

“Our job is to keep [the congestion] moving. It’s a large area and the traffic is usually heavy in certain areas,” traffic agent who gave his name as Stiell told us.  “Sometimes [traffic agents] go beyond eight hours depending on how long the men are working.”

Maria Basallo, Owner of MadeByMonina Rentals and Balloons, drives on the expressway frequently for work. “The commute is overwhelming and confusing. There are vehicles coming in all directions and the traffic enforcers seem to be equally as confused as the drivers.”

Basallo is concerned for the safety for drivers and pedestrians. “it’s not fair to continuously have construction going on, and with new detours that are not safe for pedestrians or vehicles.”