One lane of the Staten Island-bound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) in Downtown Brooklyn will remain open for two consecutive weekends in September to facilitate the installation of weigh-in-motion (WIM) equipment.
The partial lane closures will take place from Sept. 14-16 and Sept. 21-23, according to a press release.
The DOT said it would use the WIM technology to further reduce the number of overweight trucks on the highway.
“Weigh-in-motion technology has proven successful along the BQE in areas where it’s installed, leading to a 64% reduction in overweight vehicles along the triple cantilever,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “These limited lane closures are necessary for us to continue to keep overweight trucks off the BQE, and we advise drivers to take mass transit or seek alternate routes if possible.”
The lane closures will start from 1:00am on Saturdays to 5:00am on Mondays, impacting the stretch from Adams Street to Washington Street. Additionally, during the weekend of September 21-23, the Sands Street entrance ramp to the Staten Island-bound lanes will be closed.
The department urged drivers to use alternative routes. In addition, it will alert them of the closures in advance through the Variable Message Signs (VMS) and overhead signs.
The DOT currently operates WIM enforcement on the Queens-bound portion of the BQE in Downtown Brooklyn. The department reported that in the first seven months of automated enforcement, the number of overweight trucks crossing the triple cantilever dropped from a monthly average of 7,777 to 2,769.
