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Q&A
Delayed opening of Queensboro Bridge South Outer Roadway
2:42:25
ยท
6 min
Council Member Julie Won questions DOT officials about the delayed opening of the Queensboro Bridge South Outer Roadway, which was supposed to open that weekend. DOT officials, including Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and First Deputy Commissioner Margaret Forgione, explain that some additional work on fencing and pavement is needed before opening, but struggle to provide a specific timeline for completion.
- DOT officials cite ongoing work on a $300 million project for the bridge
- Council members express frustration with the lack of a precise opening date
- DOT commits to providing more detailed information about the timeline later in the hearing
Julie Won
2:42:25
Thank you so much, chair Brooks Powers.
2:42:28
Good afternoon.
2:42:29
It's so good to see you all.
2:42:30
I have a few questions.
2:42:32
I'm gonna start with our latest celebration that we were supposed to have this weekend that everyone was pumped for, but we gotta reschedule.
2:42:39
So I wanted, I remember with chair Brooks Powers and commissioner Rodriguez, we did a walk through of the Queensborough Bridge, especially to advocate for the South Otter Roadway to be open.
2:42:50
That was slated to open this weekend.
2:42:52
Can you help us understand the status of that opening?
Ydanis Rodriguez
2:42:57
Understanding the work that is happening in that bridge is almost $300,000,000 project.
2:43:04
So the piece that you're referring to is one of those many work that is happening there.
2:43:11
We've been advancing a lot.
2:43:16
I'm proud of work that led by Margaret Fujoni, our first epic commission operation and her team.
2:43:22
We pulled from bridges, been doing it.
2:43:25
We almost ready to complete the project.
2:43:27
And and again, it being a lot of work with contractors and us.
2:43:33
And I feel that we are very close for to finish that piece of the $300,000,000 project that is taking the the on on the Queensboro Bridge.
Margaret Forgione
2:43:49
Just to add a
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:43:50
little to
Margaret Forgione
2:43:50
what the count what the commissioner said.
Ydanis Rodriguez
2:43:52
Can say council members?
Margaret Forgione
2:43:53
I know.
2:43:54
I'm getting myself mixed up here.
2:43:56
So we know it's top of mind for you to get the South Outer Roadway opened.
2:43:59
It's also top of mind for us.
2:44:01
So in anticipation of today's hearing, we were trying to get the South Outer Roadway opened and in use for pedestrians.
2:44:10
We got a little bit ahead of ourselves and we have a little bit more work to complete on some fencing gates and a little bit of pavement work.
2:44:18
So we do anticipate that happening pretty quickly.
Julie Won
2:44:21
So it was supposed to be done we're supposed to open it by end of first quarter.
2:44:24
So we're nearing the end of first quarter.
2:44:26
So can you give me a timeline?
2:44:27
And give me more specificity and details of where the fencing is needed and where the concrete work you're talking about or pavement
Margaret Forgione
2:44:34
on the Sure.
2:44:34
So what I will say is that I can't give you an exact date, but we are anxious to get it open very quickly.
2:44:40
We don't anticipate this to take an extremely long period of time.
2:44:44
In order to open the South Outer Roadway and have it be safe for pedestrians, we needed to install well over a mile of fence work, and that work had to be coordinated with other work, in particular the upper deck replacement.
2:44:59
So the finishing touches are being put on that very long amount of fence that
Julie Won
2:45:05
On what part of the fencing are you referring to?
2:45:06
Because I have constituents who use that bridge every single morning.
2:45:10
I had them report to me this morning that they don't see where additional fencing is needed.
Margaret Forgione
2:45:15
Okay, well what I can tell you is that our engineers are very tuned into each and every aspect of the design and the safety, and we do have a few more things to do on the fencing and the gates as well before we are comfortable opening it.
2:45:29
So to the naked eye of a layperson, it may appear to be fine, but we have a little bit more work to do.
Julie Won
2:45:35
So can you tell us where you're getting this work done and where the pavement is supposed
Margaret Forgione
2:45:39
to be?
2:45:40
So we had a few
Julie Won
2:45:41
And we were told by DOT that the construction was complete, so did they misspeak?
Margaret Forgione
2:45:46
So what I can tell you is that the north, the upper roadway work, the deck work, is virtually complete.
2:45:55
There are going to be some more items that take place over the next few months.
2:45:59
I don't think we characterize that work as complete and then the pavement that I'm referring to are some defects and things of the same of the sort on the South Outer Roadway that we need to fix.
Julie Won
2:46:10
So can you give us at least a timeline?
2:46:12
How many weeks are we talking about?
Margaret Forgione
2:46:13
I'm not going to be able to give you a precise timeline, no.
2:46:16
So
Julie Won
2:46:17
what are we waiting for?
2:46:19
Are we talking about quarters?
2:46:20
Because we were promised two years ago that this would open and we've been delayed more than two years.
Margaret Forgione
2:46:24
Again, years, I understand how top of mind this is for you and it is the same for us.
2:46:29
We do anticipate it soon.
Julie Won
2:46:31
What is soon?
2:46:32
Are you
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:46:32
talking about I'm sorry.
2:46:33
Can we quantify what soon is?
2:46:34
I'm sorry, council member.
Ydanis Rodriguez
2:46:36
We will get back to you on that one.
2:46:38
We cannot tell like
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:46:40
But say six months?
2:46:42
Is it a year?
2:46:43
What is soon?
2:46:44
How are
Ydanis Rodriguez
2:46:44
you It will happen this year.
2:46:46
Very soon.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:46:48
So will it happen in December of this year?
2:46:50
Will it happen in April of this year?
Ydanis Rodriguez
2:46:52
It will happen very soon.
2:46:53
We can go we can check with our team and and the and the and the contractors to get back to you on on average day.
2:47:00
But so far, all we can state is about the projects that again was announced in the last year, the previous administration, are something that could be finished very soon.
2:47:10
Was not a case as we talked to construction.
2:47:12
So the contractor, I think the contractors and the bridge division, they're doing a great job.
2:47:17
And council members and and all the advocates, they should be very proud that very soon that part of the bridge will be reopened very soon.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:47:26
So what I'm gonna ask is that while we're in this hearing, if someone can reach out to the agency that's working on this and give us a better idea of a timeline for it because I will say that when I first became chair of this committee, my very first transportation infrastructure tour was in council member Juan's district.
2:47:46
That is pretty much almost four years now and we were given a timeline at that point.
2:47:52
Since then council member Juan has continued to follow-up with the agency and has continued to be given different timelines, has been kicked down, the can has been kicked down the road.
2:48:02
So I'd like to know in this hearing on the record a more more detailed timeline.
2:48:09
What are we waiting on?
2:48:10
How long will it take?
2:48:12
And so we will allow the agency during this hearing to to do what they need to do to get us that answer.
2:48:18
Councilmember Warren were all your other questions answered?
2:48:21
Yeah.
Julie Won
2:48:21
Oh I have one more question.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:48:22
Okay if you could make it really quick and then we're gonna go to councilmember Brewer after.
Ydanis Rodriguez
2:48:26
And we will we will now be I I I really stated what the deputy commissioner say, we will be reopening very soon.
2:48:35
Not today
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:48:36
That response that response was not
Ydanis Rodriguez
2:48:38
sufficient.
2:48:38
Give you a exact date by this hearing.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:48:41
The response was
Ydanis Rodriguez
2:48:41
not sufficient.
2:48:42
We will follow-up with you and the members on how how soon we expect it to reopen.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:48:47
I'm sorry commissioner, but that response is not sufficient.
2:48:50
This is not something that just came up.
2:48:52
I'm sure you knew that with council member Warren being a member of this committee, it was gonna come up today.
2:48:56
It has been coming up for three years.
2:48:59
So as I have requested, I'd like to have a more detailed answer than that.
2:49:03
So if you can check with the appropriate division within the department that they can give you more information to report back here, that would be greatly appreciated.
2:49:12
Thank you.
2:49:12
Councilmember Warren.
Julie Won
2:49:13
I have a follow-up question for universal daylighting.