Queens leaders on July 15 celebrated the repaving of and repairs to the “worst street” in the borough after years of community complaints and neglect.
The infamous Braddock Avenue is a major thoroughfare that runs between Hillside Avenue and Cross Island Parkway, which had been plagued with potholes and eroded infrastructure.
After years of disrepair, the Departments of Design and Construction, Environmental Protection and Transportation collaborated on the multimillion dollar project. Prior to DOT repaving the roadway, DEP and DDC added 510 feet of new water main to the neighborhood and replaced 3,000 feet of water main and 260 feet of sanitary sewer between Billings and Ransom Streets.
Representatives from the three city agencies joined elected officials and local civic leaders near Breininger Park for a celebratory ribbon-cutting on the now smooth streets of Braddock.
“I often referred to Braddock Avenue as the worst street in Queens because of its terrible condition,” Councilman Barry Grodenchik said. “But now, we can celebrate its repaving, thanks to the advocacy of local civic organizations and the hard work of the New York City Department of Transportation, the New York City Department of Design and Construction and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.”
Braddock Avenue is one of many local streets — along with sections of Francis Lewis Boulevard and 90th Avenue — that the DDC, DEP and DOT are working on as part of a $58 million project meant to improve street conditions, fix flooding issues and upgrade aging infrastructure in Queens Village.
The project is part of a $1.9 billion investment from the city for southeast Queens that will build a comprehensive drainage system, improve street conditions and alleviate flooding in those neighborhoods.
“QCB13 is extremely pleased by the leadership taken by Council Member Barry S. Grodenchik in getting the relevant parties on the same page for this important thoroughfare in Bellerose to get repaved,” said Mark McMillan, district manager of Queens Community Board 13. “It has been a moonscape for too many years, damaging cars, trucks and buses that have the unfortunate experience of having to drive on this roadway. Residents and businesses can finally have the benefit of Braddock Avenue as a smooth street in their neighborhood.”
