The BQE is going to have some major closures this month

If you were planning on using the BQE to travel from Downtown Brooklyn to Queens anytime between Saturday, April 13 at 2am and Monday, April 15at 4am, you might want to start thinking of alternative routes now.

That’s because for those two days, the Queens-bound side of the BQE will be completely closed between Atlantic Avenue and Sand Street for some important maintenance work meant to extend the highway’s longevity.

RECOMMENDED: The 7 and N trains will not run between Manhattan and Queens for one weekend this April

The work is going to focus on adding new concrete and reinforcing steel bars near Clark Street and Grace Court and will be the final round of fixes on that stretch until June 1 and 3. "Just as we did successfully last fall, we continue to deliver critical repairs to the BQE to preserve its lifespan while at the same time trying to minimize impact on the local community," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "And this time again we will keep the public closely updated on our progress as we plan ahead for this work."

This detour is probably going to get pretty congested, so make sure you’re leaving plenty of room to anticipate delays if you’re planning to travel on those dates. 

In its statement, the Department of Transportation outlined which ramps the maintenance work would affect:

• 3rd Ave at 65th Street entrance ramp
• 6th Ave at 65th Street entrance ramp
• Prospect Expressway entrance ramp
• Hamilton Avenue entrance ramp
• Atlantic Avenue entrance ramp
• Cadman Plaza exit ramp
• Brooklyn Bridge exit ramp
• Manhattan Bridge exit ramp

Here are detailed instructions for how to use the Queens-Bound Prospect Expressway Entrance Ramp Detour 

Photograph: New York City Department of Transportation

• Travel along the Prospect Expressway towards Gowanus Expressway
• Exit Gowanus Expressway at Hamilton Avenue
• Take a right onto Hicks Street
• Take a right onto Atlantic Avenue
• Take a left onto Boerum Place
• Take a right onto Tillary Street and take ramp onto BQE

For more information on the closures, check out the DOT's full press release.