Debate grows over $900M Cross Bronx Expressway project
How do New Yorkers feel about widening the Cross Bronx Expressway?
FOX 5 NY's Briella Tomassetti has the latest.
BRONX - New York officials face a key deadline to submit a final plan to redesign portions of the Cross Bronx Expressway, as debate intensifies over the scope and impact of the project.
What we know:
State and federal officials say the $900 million effort, known as the Five Bridges Project, would rehabilitate five elevated sections of the expressway built roughly 70 years ago and now in need of significant repairs.
Cross Bronx Expressway construction site on 79th Street where a tunnel is being driven beneath Tenth Avenue, also known as Amsterdam Avenue, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, 16th November 1949. The apartments in the background wer
The other side:
But critics, including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are raising concerns about the project’s environmental review and community engagement process.
What they're saying:
In a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul dated April 2, Ocasio-Cortez wrote, "on behalf of my constituents and nearly 64,000 local residents impacted by this project, I am requesting that your administration reject any plans to expand the Cross Bronx Expressway beyond its current footprint."
"Instead, I urge the state to prioritize standard bridge repairs and identify safer, more effective solutions that reduce traffic and improve air quality before construction begins on the upcoming 5 bridges project," she added.
'Environmental burden'
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: Cars and trucks move along the Cross Bronx Expressway, a notorious stretch of highway in New York City that is often choked with traffic and contributes to pollution and poor air quality on November 16, 2021 in New Y
Ocasio-Cortez also wrote, "a $900 million repair project in one of the state's most congested, environmentally burdened corridors demands rigorous planning that puts residents first."
Some Bronx residents echoed those concerns, particularly around air quality and infrastructure maintenance.
"Of course we need the highways fixed. They're dilapidated, they're falling apart, but it shouldn't be at the cost of Bronx River residents or any residents. They're trying to bring to expand across Bronx and bring more emission, bad air," Tenant Association President for Bronx River Houses, Norma Saunders said.
Another added, "People are concerned about having another sidewalk that needs to be cleaned. If you walk around here, you'll see that the current ones aren't maintained."
Last month, neighbors rallied against the proposal, calling on state leaders to pause the project.
What is the Cross Bronx Expressway project?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: Cars and trucks move along the Cross Bronx Expressway, a notorious stretch of highway in New York City that is often choked with traffic and contributes to pollution and poor air quality on November 16, 2021 in New Y
Design options under consideration include widening the roadway’s shoulders by 25 feet on both sides to meet federal standards, as well as adding a pathway along the southern end of the highway that could later become a bike and pedestrian route.
The New York State Department of Transportation pushed back on claims the project would expand the expressway.
"This is not an expansion project of the expressway. Rather, it is a needed safety project. NYSDOT is committed to maintaining a safe transportation system for all users, and this project on the Cross Bronx is needed to keep travelers as well as the community safe as the infrastructure is in need of critical repair," a spokesperson said in a statement.
The agency also said it has worked with the community throughout the planning process, making changes in response to public feedback.
Construction is expected to begin this year and last about six years, if the plan moves forward as scheduled.
The Source: This report is based on information from NYSDOT, Gov. Hochul, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and nearby residents.