The Arthur Kill Road Improvement Project was announced in May 2015 when former Mayor Bill de Blasio allocated $15 million in funding towards the expansion of the 1.5-mile strip of road to alleviate traffic congestion. For a decade, the project was on hold until it received a notice to proceed in December 2025, with an anticipated start date of winter 2026.
Since its announcement, the budget of the project rose to $70 million, though the continuation of the project has led to mixed reactions from locals.
Many Staten Islanders who live adjacent to the site have installed lawn signs protesting the “Arthur Kill Highway” project. Protesters have raised concerns over the proposal for its potential to infringe on property lines, create more truck traffic and pose a high community health risk, with the expansion cutting into nearby Brookfield Park, a 258-acre former landfill notoriously known for its history of housing hazardous materials due to illegal dumping in the late 20th century.
The reawakening of the Arthur Kill Road expansion has sparked a more serious underlying concern that has affected many Staten Island residents over the years.
Following the events of 9/11, approximately 1.5 million tons of debris were transported from downtown Manhattan to the Fresh Kills Landfill to continue forensic research and resume recovery efforts. For the next year, Fresh Kills sanitation employees worked at full operation to sift through the debris.
Barry Asnes, a former New York City Department of Sanitation supervisor at Fresh Kills Landfill, said to NY1 that he worked 112-hour weeks to aid in city cleanup efforts before developing health issues.
According to the Staten Island Advance “many believe their illnesses are tied to years spent breathing polluted air, inhaling toxins emanating from the former Fresh Kills and Brookfield landfills.”
Staten Island’s cancer rates are reportedly about 21% higher than the city average and are higher than any other borough.
With cancer diagnoses growing, with a potential correlation to the former landfills on Staten Island, residents are wary of the new project and the possible effects it could reintroduce into the air.
“This toxic area was never meant to be unearthed again. Doing so is a risk to residents along AKR as well as surrounding areas,” Susan Conlon, a Staten Island resident, wrote on Facebook.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his administration have not publicly commented on the project, leaving some residents with questions about how the city will address their concerns as the winter start date nears.