Release: Avella Announces 3rd Ave Exit Opening

(QUEENS, NY) State Senator Tony Avella today announced that the 3rd Avenue Exit of the Whitestone Expressway has finally been reopened to all traffic.

After being closed for more than two years to accommodate a three and a half year construction project by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the exit was officially reopened today to all traffic in both directions. The $109 million capital project that began in 2011 allowed the MTA to make improvements to the roadway, including widening the Queens approach to the northbound Whitestone Bridge. The 2013 closure of this exit, the last one in Queens before crossing the bridge and entering the Bronx, led to more than two years of severe congestion and traffic problems for the residential neighborhoods of Whitestone and College point. The reopening of the exit was also pushed back several times due to construction delays and extreme weather.

Throughout the project, Senator Avella has continued to monitor the progress and ensure that the exit was reopened sooner rather than later.

“Today is a joyous occasion for the residents of Whitestone and College Point as the 3rd Avenue Exit is finally accessible once again. While it was closed, commuters suffered the burden that the construction brought to their neighborhoods and have waited for two years now for this work to come to an end. I am thrilled to announce that the project has finally been completed and the roadway is open once again. Now that the improvements have finally been made, it is time for the people of northeast Queens to be able to enjoy them,” said Senator Avella.