It’s already almost here again: New York City Department of Transportation’s (DOT) annual Winter Holiday Construction Embargo. From 6:00 am Saturday, November 15, 2025 through 11:59 pm Friday, January 2, 2026, during which routine construction work in certain locations is suspended. The Embargo applies to all five boroughs; a list of the embargoed locations is available on the DOT website.
On DOT-designated “gridlock alert days” throughout the Embargo, lane closures will be prohibited from 6:00 am until midnight on certain highways, service roads, and East and Harlem Bridge crossings. The complete list of gridlock alert days and impacted highways, roads and crossings can also be found on the DOT website.
The Embargo does not apply to emergency work, so long as an emergency work number is obtained by the project permit holder pursuant to Section 2-11 of the Rules of the City of New York.
Now is the time to determine whether and how the Embargo will impact your project and understand the process for applying for an emergency work number should you need it.
