More than 60% of the New York City metropolitan area’s produce, fish, and meat pass through the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center, but the market did not have a direct highway connection. The daily load of 20,000 vans, box trucks, and 18 wheelers have historically traversed Hunts Point peninsula’s surface streets, adding to quality-of-life issues in the borough.

The project widens the Bruckner Expressway, reduces traffic congestion, provides interstate access ramps to Hunts Point Market, and shifts truck traffic off local streets onto the highway. The project scope includes constructing new parks, park improvements, park access, and protected bike lanes. It also adds safety improvements to over 20 intersections along Bruckner Boulevard by adding curb bump outs, new traffic signals, and improved ADA-compliant crossings. A previously vacant area has also been developed for potential use as a farmer’s market.

Our firm, as part of a joint venture with AECOM, prepared the preliminary design, environmental impact statement, and design-build procurement packages, and provided technical consultation during construction for the megaproject. To achieve the construction completion date, the AECOM/Dewberry joint venture team broke the program into three individual mega-projects that could be bid out and constructed in a six-year period, enabling certain construction projects to overlap between the three design-build contracts. We provided technical consultation during construction for the duration of the project. The contract required extensive coordination and approval from numerous organizations and agencies, including Amtrak, CSX, Metro-North Railroad, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York City Department of Transportation, New York City Transit, New York City Police Department, and the Fire Department of the City of New York.