Section of Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to close for entire weekend: What to know

Looking to get from Brooklyn to Queens this weekend? Don't count on taking one of the main thoroughfares.

Part of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway will be closed for repairs for the entire weekend, according to the city's Department of Transportation, and it could lead to a traffic nightmare in downtown Brooklyn.

The Queens-bound BQE will be fully closed from Atlantic Avenue to Sands Street starting at 2 a.m. Saturday, and it will remain closed until 4 a.m. Monday, the DOT said. That includes a full closure between the Atlantic Avenue entrance ramp and the Manhattan Bridge exit ramp in direction of Queens.

In addition to that closure, the Staten Island-bound side will only have one lane open in that area during that same time frame. The Vine Street-Fulton Street ramp will be closed, according to the DOT. The department is encouraging drivers to avoid the the BQE entirely in Brooklyn for the weekend.

The repairs are aimed at getting new concrete and reinforcing steel bars being added at spans on the BQE near Clark Street and Grace Court as part of critical near-term work for the structure's lifespan, the DOT said. There will be heavily signed detours through the neighborhoods impacted.

"This is critical work to preserve the BQE while at the same time trying to minimize impact on the local community,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "Our public outreach campaign is underway and we will keep the public closely updated throughout the weekend."

Here are the ramps that will be impacted by the closures:

Queens-Bound:

• 3^rd Ave entrance Ramp
• 6^th Ave entrance ramp
• Prospect Expressway Entrance Ramp
• Hamilton Avenue Entrance Ramp
• Atlantic Avenue Entrance Ramp
• Cadman Plaza Exit Ramp
• Brooklyn Bridge Exit Ramp
• Manhattan Bridge Exit Ramp

Staten Island Bound:

• Flushing Avenue Entrance Ramp
• Sands Street Entrance Ramp
• Vine Street Entrance Ramp