Governor Kathy Hochul announced that Phase Two of the $1.7 billion Hunts Point Access Improvement Project in the Bronx, which rehabilitated the Bruckner Expressway and Bruckner Boulevard to create a direct route to Hunts Point Market, will be completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
The phase utilized less than the original $518 million contract award and rehabilitated 1.25 miles of the Bruckner Expressway between 141st Street and Barretto Street to provide new entrance and exit ramps connecting westbound Bruckner Expressway to Leggett Avenue. A 1.75-mile section of Bruckner Boulevard between Cypress Ave and Barretto Street was reconstructed, and 15 local intersections were upgraded with new curbs, medians, sidewalks, crosswalks, and traffic signals.
The second phase also included a 1.5-mile shared-use path along Bruckner Boulevard between 138th Street and Barretto Street to increase recreational opportunities for cyclists and pedestrians. Part of an unprecedented state investment to enhance infrastructure in the South Bronx, the announcement supports the State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) goals.
The ongoing third and final phase will reconstruct the Bruckner Expressway/Sheridan Boulevard interchange and relocate the entrance ramp to northbound Sheridan Boulevard from the left side of the highway to the right side. The addition of a third lane in each direction of the Bruckner Expressway and the replacement of the Bryant Ave Pedestrian Bridge will also be completed.
While the intersection of Hunts Point Avenue and Bruckner Boulevard will be reconstructed to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety, new signs and pavement markings will also be installed to better direct auto, truck, and pedestrian traffic within the Hunts Point Peninsula.
A new 117-spot parking lot with 24 electric vehicle charging stations and four rapid charge spots to accommodate electric vehicles will be constructed under the Bruckner Expressway to help improve air quality in the South Bronx by 2025.
Governor Hochul has also announced that $10 million in funding will be used for clean transportation initiatives in the Bronx, which will be implemented under current and future funding opportunities available later in 2023 through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the New York Power Authority (NYPA), and the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS).
The investments in zero-emission school buses, all-electric mobility options, and electric vehicle charging stations will improve air quality and reduce pollution in an underserved congested area of New York City.
NYSERDA will award $3 million from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auction proceeds and the State's 10-year, $6 billion Clean Energy Fund to help implement all-electric mobility options connecting residents to transit by investing in innovative, community-identified solutions, and demonstration projects. The Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act will allot $500 million to help school districts transition to zero-emission buses.
Under its EVolveNY initiative, an open-access charging network installing fast chargers in key locations along primary travel corridors and in urban areas, NYPA will award $2 million to help residents in the State drive EVs. DPS is expected to fund $1 million in EV Make-Ready incentives to support a total of 1,400 kW of fast charging at two locations.
The announcement not only supports the State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050 but also helps the State transition to zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure by 2035.
“Our transformative investments in the Bronx are changing the lives of New Yorkers for the better by reducing air pollution, excessive noise, truck traffic, and clogged roadways,” Governor Hochul said. "We’re creating easier and more direct access to Hunts Point while simultaneously investing in our clean transportation future, and these combined efforts will enhance the safety and public health of the community and further the tremendous momentum for growth we are seeing in the South Bronx.”
