# New York Completes Queens Highway Modernization

New York State announced on October 23, 2026, that the $1.4 billion Van Wyck Expressway modernization in Queens had reached substantial completion. The project added managed/HOV lanes between the Kew Gardens Interchange and John F. Kennedy International Airport, alongside bridge, ramp, drainage, and traffic-management improvements. Service-road rehabilitation remains underway and is expected to finish later in 2026. The announcement reports no new solicitation or contractor award, but provides a closeout milestone and signals continued transportation and drainage work in the corridor.

- Contractors can assess whether they have a role in the remaining service-road rehabilitation or related corridor work; the announcement does not identify an open procurement or award.
- The project’s scope—including highway capacity, bridges, drainage, and traffic-management systems—offers relevant context for firms pursuing future New York transportation infrastructure work.
- New York State and New York City agencies were involved in related drainage improvements, including a reported $135 million double-barrel sewer segment; firms with transportation and water-infrastructure capabilities may find this relevant to corridor planning.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure, Transportation
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** October 24, 2026

### Government Entities
- New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT)
- New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP)
- New York State Governor's Office

### Key Quotes
> En el Senado, seguiré luchando para conseguir más fondos federales que permitan modernizar las carreteras y autopistas obsoletas de Nueva York, para que los neoyorquinos puedan llegar a donde necesitan ir.
> — Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator

### Sources
- [La Gobernadora Hochul Anuncia la Finalización de las Principales Obras del Transformador Proyecto de la Autopista Van Wyck | Governor Kathy Hochul | New York State](https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/la-gobernadora-hochul-anuncia-la-finalizacion-de-las-principales-obras-del-transformador) - NY