Governor Hochul Announces Unprecedented Investment to Revitalize Infrastructure in the Bronx

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the latest milestone in New York State’s unprecedented commitment to revitalize infrastructure across the South Bronx. The New York State Department of Transportation has been awarded a $150 million federal grant to help transform an initial section of the Cross Bronx Expressway with the addition of a multimodal community connector roadway, featuring dedicated bus lanes and pathways for bicyclists and pedestrians, that would serve as a local connection between Boston Road to the west and Rosedale Avenue to the east. The grant, which is made possible through the National Infrastructure Assistance Program (MEGA)/Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help further the historic progress being made to reconnect Bronx communities by correcting the planning mistakes of the past, protecting health, and enhancing safety.

“Big things are happening in the South Bronx and we have every intention of keeping that momentum going – something that this new grant and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help us do,” Governor Hochul said. “The Cross Bronx Expressway is a roadway with unlimited potential for transformation, and the allocation of these federal funds will lay a solid foundation to create the infrastructure needed to continue to reconnect this community, just as we are doing at Hunts Point. While this is a first step in a long process, it is an important one that will advance our goal of reconnecting communities by reimagining critical infrastructure to benefit the people to live there, while helping to ease the negative impacts of vehicle traffic and pollution. I thank the Biden-Harris Administration and everyone in the New York Congressional delegation who voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and made this grant for the South Bronx possible.”

Building on the State’s unprecedented investments to enhance infrastructure in the South Bronx and improve the quality of life for its residents – investments that include the ongoing $1.7 billion Hunts Point Access Improvement Project and the recently completed Sheridan Boulevard – the Cross Bronx Expressway multimodal community connector is a critical component of the New York State Department of Transportation’s rehabilitation or replacement of five Cross Bronx Expressway Bridges between Boston Road and Rosedale Avenue project, which will begin in 2026. That project will rehabilitate or replace five deteriorating bridges and approach roadways, and design and construct a new ramp that connects the southbound Bronx River Parkway to the westbound Cross Bronx Expressway.

The multi-modal community connector roadway will serve as another step towards addressing concerns that have been voiced by community members for years about the need to provide greater east/west connectivity for pedestrians, bicyclists and traffic; and improve mass transit accessibility. The new connector will feature dedicated bus lanes and pathways for bicyclists and pedestrians that will improve transportation connections for residents of the neighborhoods on both sides of the Bronx River. Furthermore, it will provide a direct connection to Starlight Park, a multi-faceted recreational amenity, and the Bronx River Greenway.

The multimodal community connector roadway will not only serve these important purposes when completed, but also serve a critical role as a temporary diversion/detour road that will negate the need for a long-term closure of one lane in each direction of the Cross Bronx Expressway and allow construction on the bridges to be completed in four years instead of six. The project calls for a new detour roadway to be constructed first, which will negate the need to divert traffic onto local streets and allow work to proceed faster and more efficiently. Once the bridge work is completed, the detour roadway would be reconfigured to become a multi-modal community connector that provides new bicycle, pedestrian and bus lane access. It will also reconnect communities that have been separated for years since there was no pedestrian connection over the rail tracks and bus depot that lie beneath the project bridges.

In addition to the new connector road, the state-of-good repair work performed on the five bridges is foundational to achieving the overall goals of a study now being progressed by the state and the city to reimagine the Cross Bronx Expressway corridor.

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) provided a $2 million grant as part of the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program for the state and the city to partner on a community-driven study that will reimagine the future transportation and community network in the Bronx, the results of which are expected to be completed at the end of 2024.

This project is currently in the preliminary engineering phase. NYSDOT will meet with environmental leaders, Bronx community boards, and the public in the spring and summer of 2024.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Governor Hochul is doing more to reconnect communities across New York than any leader in the country and this grant will help build on the transformative investments her Administration is making in the Bronx. The Cross Bronx Expressway connector project is a major step forward in reconnecting communities on both sides of the Bronx River. Combined with dedicated bus lanes and areas to bike and walk, this connector will contribute to the current livability and future reimagining of the Cross Bronx Expressway. I thank Governor Hochul for her support for this project as well as the Biden Administration for making these federal discretionary grants available for projects like this, that lay the foundation for truly game changing investments that lead to thriving communities.”

The $150 million grant for the multimodal community connector is the latest show of support from the Biden-Harris administration for the transformation of the Cross Bronx Expressway, is essential to the overall integrity of the structure, and necessary for any future enhancements to lessen the public health impacts of the Cross Bronx Expressway and reconnect communities that are divided by it today.

The transformation of the Cross Bronx Expressway corridor is part of New York State’s ongoing commitment to address long-standing infrastructure challenges in the Bronx and improve quality of life for all residents. In 2018, the state began construction of the Arthur Sheridan Enhancement Project. The project de-designated the Sheridan Expressway as an interstate, allowing the roadway to be transformed into a new urban boulevard that provides residents and visitors with a direct connection to the Bronx River waterfront and Starlight Park.

Those efforts are continuing with the Hunts Point Interstate Access Improvement Project, which will provide direct access to the Hunts Point Market from both the Bruckner Expressway and the newly created Sheridan Boulevard, taking traffic off local roadways and reducing noise and air pollution. The project includes the construction of a new shared-use path constructed between Concrete Plant Park and Garrison Playground and a new Bryant Avenue pedestrian bridge. In August 2023, Governor Hochul announced Phase Two of the project. The last phase of the project is on schedule to be completed in the fall of 2025.

In May 2023, Governor Hochul also announced the start of a $44.7 million project to rehabilitate the bridge carrying the Bruckner Expressway over Rosedale Avenue in the Bronx. The project will restore and modernize the bridge to enhance safety and ease travel along this vital commuter and commercial artery in the New York City Region.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said, “When you look at the Cross Bronx Expressway, you see the massive lanes, the cars, the pollution and the disconnect. That’s why, under the Biden-Harris Administration, we finally had the chance to right some of the infrastructure wrongs of the past, both in terms of pollution and traffic flow in the Bronx. Well, we not only took the chance, we made the most of it to the tune of $150,000,000. This MEGA grant win will help establish dedicated bus lanes, as well as pathways for bicyclists and pedestrians. These are present day infrastructure characteristics the Bronx not only needs, but deserves, and I look forward to breaking ground soon.”

Representative Ritchie Torres said, "With diesel truck traffic polluting the air residents breathe everyday, the Cross Bronx Expressway is both a literal and metaphorical structure of racism. This funding allows the New York State Department of Transportation to right the wrongdoings of Robert Moses and decades of neglect that has subjected Bronxites to dangerous levels of pollution. This strategic investment builds upon the state's commitment to infrastructure improvement in communities that need it most, exemplified by projects like the $1.7 billion Hunts Point Access Improvement Project and the recently completed Sheridan Boulevard. I am thankful to the Department of Transportation, the New York Congressional Delegation, the Governor, and all of the partners who have worked for decades to ensure that the Cross Bronx is a safer place for all."

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “We are thrilled that the Department of Transportation is awarding $150 million to make the Cross Bronx Expressway more pedestrian and public transit friendly. There is much to do to address the historical environmental injustices of Robert Moses era infrastructure, and this is a step in the right direction. We won’t stop until we fully cap the Cross Bronx Expressway."

State Senator Luis Sepúlveda said, “Governor Hochul's announcement of a $150 million federal grant to transform the Cross Bronx Expressway is a monumental step for the South Bronx. This investment in a multimodal community connector roadway will not only enhance connectivity but also reduce congestion and open new recreational avenues. It represents a commitment to the revitalization of our infrastructure, benefiting pedestrians, bicyclists, and the entire community. It's a proud moment for New York State, showcasing our dedication to building a future that prioritizes both efficiency and the well-being of our citizens.”

State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said, “The announcement of $150 million to help transform the Cross Bronx Expressway marks another momentous moment in the history of the Bronx. Since its inception, the Cross Bronx Expressway has caused disinvestment in many of our communities, increased asthma rates, and separated Bronxites from what once were easily accessible resources. I want to thank the New York State Department of Transportation and Governor Kathy Hochul for understanding how needed and transformational this investment is to all Bronxites. We look forward to seeing how these investments bring new opportunities to the communities directly impacted by the Cross Bronx Expressway and seeing continued investment into righting the wrongs of yesteryear.”

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “The Cross Bronx Expressway has cut through working-class neighborhoods, isolated communities, closed local businesses, and increased traffic levels in marginalized and low socioeconomic communities. As a result, Bronx residents have been exposed to noise, air pollution, and poor health outcomes. This incredible $150 million investment will help transform and connect the Bronx to the rest of New York, bring economic prosperity to the borough, and undo injustices caused by decades of disinvestment.”

Assemblymember Kenny Burgos said, “This $150 million federal grant is a tangible investment New Yorkers will benefit from for decades to come. It is a testament to the state's dedication of reconnecting neighborhoods and the well-being of its communities. I’m looking forward to the completion of this project as well as future transportation investments which will benefit the millions of commuters traversing our borough each year.”

Assemblymember Karines Reyes said, “I applaud Governor Hochul, NYS DOT, and the federal government for this important investment in my community and Bronx County. This critical grant will make this congested area safer for my constituents and pedestrians, as we traverse the roadway and the surrounding streets. As we continue to fund measures to mitigate the negative effects of the Cross Bronx Expressway, I remain hopeful that transformational investments will move us to a day where this major highway is capped or decked, so that Bronxites may reclaim valuable space for recreation and better air quality.”

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said, “An investment in revitalizing the Cross Bronx Expressway, is an investment in the future of our borough. Thank you to Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Department of Transportation for their leadership and commitment to transit equity. We look forward to seeing this project come to fruition and further support for our cyclists, bus riders, and pedestrians in the borough.”