Expressway, combined with the varying length and curves of the track spans, caused complications during construction. One lane in each direction was closed during the off-peak hours, causing congestion on the Van Wyck. The AirTrain's guideways above the Van Wyck were completed in August 2001. The system opened in December 2003. 21st century A $286-million (equivalent to $ in ) renovation of the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge started in August 2001. The project replaced the bridge's span, among other things. The Queens and Bronx approaches were replaced in a project that started in 2008 and ended in 2015. In early 2017, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that as part of his plan to improve JFK Airport, two traffic bottlenecks along I-678 near the airport would be removed. At the Kew Gardens Interchange, the two-lane ramps between the Grand Central Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway would be upgraded to three lanes in each direction. South of the interchange, the expressway will be expanded from three lanes to four lanes in each direction, with the new lanes being used as either high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV lanes) or bus lanes. These projects, combined, would cost $1.5 billion–2 billion (equivalent to $– in ). In October 2018, Cuomo released details of his $13-billion (equivalent to $ in ) plan to rebuild passenger facilities and approaches to JFK Airport. The plan included widened ramps in Kew Gardens and a fourth vehicle lane on the Van Wyck Expressway south of Kew Gardens. In addition, northbound exit 5 at Atlantic Avenue and southbound exit 4 at Liberty Avenue would be permanently closed, as these junctions are near each other. Were the proposal approved, construction would begin in early 2020 and would be completed three years later. In 2021, workers began reconstructing five overpasses of I-678 in southern Queens. Work on an additional five overpasses began in mid-2022. Also in 2017, NYSDOT began renovating an overpass that carried Jewel Avenue above I-678. The project was completed in 2019 and cost $13 million. Exit list See also References External links Interstate 678 at interstate-guide.com Van Wyck Expressway: Historic Overview I-678 (Greater New York Roads) 78-6 78-6 Expressways in New York City 6 Transportation in Queens, New York 678 Transportation in the Bronx