The Past, Present and Future of The Cross Bronx Expressway

Photo via NY1

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Discussing environmentalism in New York City without considering the Cross Bronx Expressway (CBE) is difficult. The major interstate highway spans six lanes and serves as an East-West connector for the Bronx, effectively splitting the borough into segments. On the surface, this division may seem only mildly inconvenient. However, a closer look at the Bronx’s history reveals the detrimental social, economic and cultural effects the expressway has on Bronx residents and the context behind today’s discontent with the infrastructure. 

The Cross Bronx Expressway is a subject of heated debate and frustration amongst residents. Demands to improve the conditions of the expressway and address the sociocultural harm it has brought to the borough fall under the responsibility of the New York Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). Current New York Governor Kathleen Hochul proposed to replace five of the six major bridges along the CBE, one of which will expand four lanes and cross over the Bronx River. Community members have voiced their concerns about the project, but fully grasping the scope of this proposal’s potential threat requires an understanding of the complex history of the CBE.

The CBE was constructed in 1948 under the direction of infamous New York bureaucrat Robert F. Moses. The project’s stated intention was to create a transportation system that would unite the Bronx. Instead, it tore through vibrant communities and displaced Black, Hispanic and Jewish communities. To carry out this mass eviction, the State of New York invoked eminent domain, a legal process that grants governing bodies the power to seize private property for public use. As a result, neighborhoods were fractured and nearly 60,000 residents were left without homes.

The health effects of the CBE on the South Bronx community are undeniable. Residents of neighborhoods located near the CBE, such as “Asthma Alley” in Mott Haven, are more susceptible to asthma, heart disease and increased stress levels as a result of the transportation pollution produced by the highway. Asthma-related hospitalizations in these areas occur nearly 21 times more frequently than in other NYC boroughs and neighborhoods. Combined with the destruction of communities and culture, the CBE’s detrimental consequences on South Bronx residents have led to discontent with Governor Hochul’s plans to develop it further.

The most controversial of Hochul’s proposals involves the construction of an overpass to control traffic during the construction period and later become a pedestrian pathway. While Hochul’s plan suggests possible highway rehabilitation, many local community advocates affirm that it will cause more harm than good for the community. This overpass would require trees in Starlight Park to be cut down, further damaging the area’s physical environment. Bronxites expressed their discontent with the continued mistreatment of their community in September with a series of rallies calling for a more ethical solution to the CBE, citing that the current plan disregards the population’s well-being. 

The Bronx River Alliance (BRA) is highly vocal about its opposition to the prospective repairs to the CBE. Executive Director Siddhartha Sánchez states, “his Cross Bronx Expressway plan is a throwback of the worst type: in a Robert Moses style with highway engineers working in secret to hoist destructive plans on a community.”

The NYSDOT has responded to project objections, promising to release an environmental assessment of the CBE’s surrounding neighborhoods in early Fall 2025. As of Oct. 17, there is no available assessment to the public and draft releases are still pending. Until then, community agencies like the BRA have remained committed to directing, organizing and sustaining local movements to educate the community on the issue. While the CBE continues to adversely affect its surrounding neighborhoods, Bronxites continue to prove their resilience and proactiveness through these coalitions. The vitality of their work will undoubtedly become even more critical in the coming weeks. 

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This article was edited by Sinhawe Haji and Georgie Javier.