Co-op City residents push back as DOT proposes closing key I-95 exit
The New York State Department of Transportation is considering removing Exit 9 on the southbound Thruway as part of Phase 2 of the Bruckner Expressway Mobility Improvements project.
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A state proposal to close a key I-95 exit is drawing frustration from Co-op City residents who say it would cut off direct access to a large portion of the neighborhood.
The New York State Department of Transportation is considering removing Exit 9 on the southbound Thruway as part of Phase 2 of the Bruckner Expressway Mobility Improvements project.
The exit provides direct access to Section 5 and the Hutchinson River Parkway and leads into the area where a new Metro-North station is currently under construction.
Residents say the ramp is a critical route for drivers and MTA buses — and they worry closing it will make already complicated traffic even worse.
“It’s going to be a big inconvenience,” one driver said.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” another added. “I’m not too happy about that.”
The DOT says preliminary design work for the project is expected to be completed by mid-2026, with construction beginning as early as 2028.
But the proposal has already faced pushback from local lawmakers.
Assemblymember Michael Benedetto, a Democrat who represents the 82nd District, said he understands the agency’s goal of improving traffic flow but fears the impact on residents.
“I am sympathetic to the Department of Transportation and their plans on trying to make traffic flow a lot better,” Benedetto said. “But I don’t want the traffic to be flowing a lot better at the expense of injuring the people in the great city of Co-op.”
Drivers say the closure would force them to travel to the opposite side of Co-op City just to exit the highway, only to loop back to the same area — costing time and creating additional congestion.
“I think it’s going to create more traffic, and people are going to have to go out of their way,” one resident said.
In a statement, the DOT said the project is intended “to enhance safety and reduce the frequency of crashes.”
But residents argue that eliminating one of the neighborhood’s most-used exits could increase the likelihood of accidents, especially during peak traffic seasons when the nearby mall attracts shoppers from across the Bronx and Westchester.
“This section is going to be flooded with drivers coming from hither and yon,” one resident said. “And what happens is that there’s the potential for a lot of accidents to occur.”
The DOT says it plans to continue engaging with the community as the project develops. Still, some residents and lawmakers are urging the agency to reconsider.
