Early Sunday morning, 20 cars were involved in a pile up on the Gowanus Expressway near 40th Street. While the damage to the cars was minor and no one was seriously injured, the suspicion was that a hose that had been left on by construction workers caused icy road conditions during the unseasonably cold night. Water is used to help set concrete.
Today, the Post reveals that state highway officials are investigating the matter. It seems that rules for shutting off hoses change after April 1, but there don't seem to be any further instructions about what to do when the weather is colder than normal for this time of year.
In related Gowanus Expressway news, the State DOT is proposing to "relocate the inbound Sixth Avenue entrance ramp and to widen the Sixth Avenue outbound exit ramp," according to the Bay Ridge Courier. The ramps are considered some of the most "accident-prone" locations in the area.
