A former New York City traffic commissioner is sounding the alarm on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

Sam Schwartz says it's time to fix the roadway that thousands of trucks and cars depend on each day. He says water and salt have seeped into the beams, causing the concrete to crumble.

Schwartz says there is no other highway truck route through Brooklyn, and that there will be serious problems if it breaks down completely.

"It's going to put trucks on local streets. Brooklyn Heights is going to suffer. Downtown Brooklyn will suffer," he says.

A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation tells News 12 that it's in the early stages of a rehabilitation project for the BQE from Sands Street to Atlantic Avenue. Inspections are underway and should continue for the next few months.