BQE Exit 31 fix at Wythe Avenue is slated to wrap in 2028 or 2029

A plan to ease the chronic backup at Exit 31 of the westbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the Wythe Avenue exit in Williamsburg, is still in development, and a project portal puts its completion in 2028 or 2029. A viral song by a Clinton Hill resident has put the bottleneck back in the spotlight.

Why BQE Exit 31 backs up

The off-ramp merges into a local street that ends at a traffic light. Cars waiting to get off the expressway often back up onto the BQE itself and slow down drivers passing through.

Andrew Rose Gregory, a member of the musical comedy group the Gregory Brothers, known for “It’s Corn” and the 2010 series “Auto-Tune the News,” poked fun at the exit in a song video that quickly spread online. He said huge numbers of people live in Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Downtown Brooklyn, and many of them drive past the exit every day. Gregory said the song struck a chord because its second half suggests a clear improvement. He was careful to say it is not a full solution. He said another version of the song is on the way.

State DOT plan for the Wythe Avenue exit

Neighbors were told at a community board meeting in 2025 that the state Department of Transportation planned to add a physical barrier between the off-ramp and Williamsburg Street West. The plan also called for widening the exit lane and adjusting the traffic signal timing.

On the project portal, the work is still marked as in development. Finishing it is projected for 2028 or 2029, but a date for construction to begin has yet to be announced. The state DOT said it would release more details soon.

Drivers who use the exit said the wait is wearing on them. Ryan Vereen said drivers try to stay patient. “It would be nice if they would do something,” he said.