Bjarke Ingels Group has released details of transforming a 6-lane highway into a connected realm between the city and waterfront. The scheme centers on the Robert Moses-designed Brooklyn Queens Expressway. As officials prepare to carry out needed repairs on the highway, existing proposals fail to address the barrier created by the infrastructure, dividing the city and waterfront. BIG’s scheme outlines how the Expressway could be turned into parkland, accommodating vehicular traffic without compromising on the quality of public space. The first step in the BIG scheme is to construct an at-grade roadway along Furman Street and Brooklyn Bridge Park covered with a simple deck structure. The deck provides a platform for adding significant new parkland along the underused corridor while connecting the Brooklyn Heights and Brooklyn Bridge Park with a series of crisscrossing rampways, greenery, and park amenities. Local park access is accommodated on a meandering parkway, while space is created for a potential spur of the nearby light-rail line. The deck also extends south to Atlantic Avenue, creating a new crossing and urban nexus that serves as an introduction to the linear park.

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