Earlier this month, an NYPD officer died after losing control of her car and crashing into a vacant store.
It was one of several accidents that have occurred recently at the same spot.
The city Department of Transportation has announced that the single lane of the bridge's Queens-bound outer roadway will be open during the day, but will be closed nightly from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The DOT says the closure will reduce the potential for speeding and other unsafe nighttime driving when the lane is underused, while providing sufficient capacity for traffic volumes on the inner and upper roadways at all times of the day.
The closure followed a review of existing safety measures, traffic volumes and travel speeds following the recent deadly crash at the Queens end of the outer roadway.
"This upgrade to the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge is just the latest step we've taken to keep the more than 180,000 daily drivers crossing safely on one of the city's most iconic bridges," said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.
"I applaud the DOT for finally giving this dangerous stretch of road the attention it deserves. Hopefully, the nighttime closure of the Queens-bound outer roadway will provide the time for a proper evaluation of the street design coming off the Queensborough Bridge exit ramp so we can eventually solve this problem once and for all," said State Sen. Michael Gianaris.
