The poor design of the existing highway network costs Bronx businesses time and money, and undermines the health and safety of residents and workers alike. In the absence of any better highway connection, we know that many businesses now rely on the Sheridan, even though this requires them to drive through congested local streets to reach it.
To solve these problems, we are advocating for the following changes that will improve the highway infrastructure of the Bronx:
- The Community Plan calls for a new interchange at Oak Point Avenue that would allow direct access to the Hunts Point peninsula to and from the Bruckner Expressway in all 4 directions. This solution helps business by providing faster access to the industrial part of Hunts Point, and helps residents by keeping trucks off of local streets. These are solutions that everyone can get behind.
- We are also calling for a fix to the George Washington Bridge and Major Deegan Expressway interchange so that trucks may easily travel from one to the other, and then connect to the Bruckner and access the Hunts Point peninsula directly via the new Oak Point ramps.
- Finally, we are proposing that the Bruckner Expressway elevated viaduct be extended across the Bronx River, removing the existing dangerous and congested interchange between the Sheridan and the Bruckner that now blights our neighborhood’s commercial and transit hub, and enables local streets to be reconnected at Bruckner Boulevard.
We are aware that each business will experience different impacts, but on the whole, we believe that the benefits of this plan outweigh its disadvantages for the community as a whole. We look forward to continuing these conversations with any and all people, businesses or residents, who are interested. We can be reached online at southbronxvision.org, or by calling 718-328-5622, extension 11.
