New managed-use lanes now connect the Kew Gardens Interchange with JFK Airport, while service-road work continues toward full completion later this year.
By David LaGuerre | Utica Phoenix
The Van Wyck Expressway modernization reached a major milestone Friday, October 23, with the opening of new managed-use lanes in both directions between the Kew Gardens Interchange and John F. Kennedy International Airport. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the $1.4 billion project is substantially complete.
The milestone does not mean every construction task is finished. The state Department of Transportation says remaining work to rehabilitate nearby service roads is expected to continue through the end of 2026. Travelers should still check current traffic and airport advisories before leaving.
Who may use the new Van Wyck Expressway lanes
The managed-use lanes will operate as high-occupancy vehicle lanes. State officials say they are open to:
- Private vehicles with a driver and at least one passenger.
- Taxis with a driver and at least one passenger.
- For-hire vehicles with a driver and at least one passenger.
- Buses.
A driver traveling alone does not meet the rule described by the state, including a taxi or for-hire driver without a passenger. The governor’s announcement did not publish hours of operation, enforcement details or a toll. Motorists should follow the posted signs rather than assume the rules are the same as another HOV corridor.
The goal is to give qualifying shared vehicles a more reliable trip to and from JFK, encourage travelers to share rides and reduce pressure on the general lanes. Those benefits should be measured after the lanes have operated through busy travel periods. Opening a lane does not guarantee the same travel time every day, especially while the airport itself remains under construction.
A 4.3-mile rebuild, not one lane project
The modernization covers 4.3 miles of Interstate 678 between JFK and Kew Gardens. NYSDOT describes it as one of the most complex projects the agency has managed. Work began in 2020 and was divided into three major phases.
Phase one, $342 million: Completed in 2023, this phase rehabilitated or replaced nine overpasses. The work extended the structures’ useful life and created enough width below them for the new managed-use lanes.
Phase two, $318 million: This work replaced or improved four bridges carrying the Long Island Rail Road Main Line and the Atlantic and Montauk branches near Jamaica Station. Signal equipment, electrical infrastructure and drainage on the approaches were replaced. The Atlantic Avenue bridge was replaced, and the northbound and southbound service roads between Archer and Atlantic avenues were reconstructed.
Phase three, $804 million: The final major phase built the managed-use lanes and replaced, rehabilitated or constructed 10 bridges. It also reconfigured ramps, upgraded sewers and added systems intended to improve traffic management and stormwater handling.
The state describes the overall program as a $1.4 billion project. The three announced phase figures are listed separately in the project history and reflect the state’s reported contract values.
What changed for safety, traffic and flooding
The highway geometry was changed to provide longer entrance and exit ramps. NYSDOT says the added length is intended to reduce queues that back onto the expressway and limit the weaving that happens when entering and exiting vehicles cross paths over a short distance.
The project also installed updated traffic-management technology and rebuilt drainage infrastructure. A $135 million double-barrel sewer segment was constructed with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection to address chronic flooding in southeast Queens.
Officials say the work should improve resilience during severe rain and reduce the need for trucks to use nearby local streets. Queens leaders welcomed the end of years of major construction and said residents deserve relief from gridlock and spillover traffic. Their statements describe the intended outcome. Traffic, crash and flooding data will show how much improvement the project delivers over time.
Phase three included work on the following structures:
- The northernmost Van Wyck Expressway bridge over Federal Circle.
- The northbound Van Wyck bridge over the southbound Exit 1/1E ramp.
- The Nassau Expressway bridge over the Van Wyck.
- The northbound and southbound Van Wyck bridges over South Conduit Avenue, the Belt Parkway and North Conduit Avenue.
- The 86th Avenue pedestrian bridge.
- The southbound Van Wyck bridge over southbound Main Street.
A new bridge now carries the southbound managed-use lane over the Exit 1/1E ramp. Across all phases, the state says 23 bridges were rehabilitated or replaced.
How this connects with earlier Van Wyck work
The current project builds on the $739 million reconstruction of the Kew Gardens Interchange, completed in December 2022, and a separate $124 million viaduct rehabilitation between 57th Avenue and the Long Island Rail Road, completed in February 2024.
The Utica Phoenix covered that earlier Van Wyck viaduct project, which replaced concrete decks, repaired structural steel and upgraded drainage and traffic equipment. The larger airport-access project continues the corridor work farther south.
Readers can view the state’s official completion photos and video in the linked project folder. The Phoenix is linking to the source rather than republishing those files because the folder does not state reuse terms.
Why Mohawk Valley travelers should care
The Van Wyck is far from Utica and Rome, but it can be the final road segment for Mohawk Valley residents driving, taking a taxi or using a car service to JFK. A missed flight can turn a highway delay into a costly problem, so the new lane is most useful when travelers understand who qualifies and still leave room for unpredictable conditions.
The highway work also intersects with a much larger airport rebuild. JFK is undergoing a $19 billion redevelopment, and the Port Authority continues to warn of roadway detours, closures and terminal-frontage congestion. The new Van Wyck lanes may improve access to the airport boundary while construction inside the airport still changes the last part of the trip.
For travelers who can use public transportation, the Port Authority recommends the Long Island Rail Road or subway to an AirTrain connection. Its current guide says LIRR trips from Penn Station or Grand Central Madison to Jamaica can take about 20 minutes, followed by the AirTrain to the terminals. The AirTrain fee is separate from the rail or subway fare, so travelers should check the current total before the trip.
The Port Authority also offers a free drop-off and pick-up area at the Lefferts Boulevard AirTrain station. Passengers can take the free on-airport AirTrain from there to the terminals, which can avoid some terminal-frontage congestion.
Practical steps before a JFK trip
Before you leave for JFK
- Check the airline and terminal before leaving home. Terminal road patterns can change during construction.
- Use 511NY for current road incidents, lane restrictions and travel conditions.
- If planning to use the managed lane, make sure the vehicle has a driver and at least one passenger and follow all posted restrictions.
- Review the JFK alerts and advisories page for airport-road changes.
- Compare driving with the LIRR, subway and AirTrain options, especially during peak travel periods.
- Build in time for security, baggage and airport construction. A highway improvement cannot eliminate every source of delay.
What should be tracked next
The opening is a construction milestone, not a final performance report. NYSDOT should publish before-and-after information on travel times, crashes, lane compliance, bus and taxi use, neighborhood truck traffic and flooding complaints. The agency should also clearly post managed-lane hours and enforcement rules if they vary by day or time.
Residents along the corridor have lived with years of construction. They should be able to see whether the project reduces traffic on service roads and local streets, not only whether airport trips become faster. Flood protection should also be tested against real storm events and reported publicly.
Service-road rehabilitation remains the last announced step before full completion. Until that work is done, drivers should expect limited construction activity even though the main-line project is substantially complete.
Will the new Van Wyck Expressway lanes change how you travel to JFK from Central New York? Share the route or transit connection that has worked for you, but do not post flight numbers, travel dates or other personal itinerary details.
Sources: New York Governor’s Office; New York State Department of Transportation; 511NY; JFK Airport alerts and advisories; JFK public transportation guide.
