Thursday, February 16, 2023

East River Greenway now closed along the Con Ed power plant

Multiple EVG readers shared the news that, as of Monday, the East River Greenway is closed for "construction activities" between 20th Street and 14th Street, including the narrow passage along the FDR and Con Edison power plant. (Thanks to Laurie Schulwolf for the photo!)
The notice states the work would begin starting the week of Feb. 6, though it turned out to be Feb. 13.

Per the notice:
Current access to the Ferry will not be impacted. All cyclists should follow the Greenway detour below and posted signage. The Greenway north of E 20th Street will remain open to the community. Access East River Park at the E 10th Street pedestrian bridge or the Houston Street overpass.
A worker at the scene said this passage would be closed for two months. 

This is part of the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project in East River Park. Workers are burying the 57.5-acre park under fill, cutting down 1,000 trees and elevating the land by 8-to-10 feet above sea level to protect the area from future storm surges. The city has said they will maintain public access to a minimum of 42 percent of the park throughout construction, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2026. 

In June 2021, then-Mayor de Blasio announced new city funding to add more amenities to the ESCR project, including a $129 million flyover bridge to elevate the Greenway over this notorious pinch point along the East River.

Per the city's press release at the time:
 • $129 million, in a separate capital project, to the Department of Transportation to fully fund a future flyover bridge that will improve bike and pedestrian access through this critical part of the Greenway. The bridge will span the pinch point area of the Manhattan Greenway as it passes 14th Street along the East River, where the Greenway narrows to just a few feet wide to fit between the river, the FDR Drive and adjacent Con Edison facilities. The bridge construction will be coordinated with ESCR.

We have yet to see a timeline for this bridge work. 

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm getting echoes of the long-drawn-out 2nd Avenue Subway construction; I wonder in what year (or decade!) they will actually get this park work done & have the park FULLY re-opened. I am not optimistic.

Anonymous said...

Right! Place your bets: I say 2029

Anonymous said...

According to the latest (January) ESCR support group meeting, the "pinch point" will be closed indefinitely.

Anonymous said...

Nobody likes this pinch point. But dammit, it is well used.

Anonymous said...

Love that 7:28 is getting "echoes of the long-drawn-out 2nd Avenue Subway construction" when project appears to be on track per ESCR website. Corlears Hook Park bridge abutments are nearly done it seems. Combi-wall construction south of Houston is flying (looks to be approaching fire boat as of today). Not hearing any concerns in CAG meetings about not meeting 2023 reopening of park south of Grand St. Happy to complain about the current closures because it's a huge pain but construction seems to be moving as expected.

Brian Van said...

At this point you can only hope that they will finish on their original timeframes. The construction along the waterfront section north of here seems to have gone smoothly, with no major reports of delays... so maybe it's all going to wrap up on-time.

Delays in most street projects are because of third-party utility companies. There really isn't much of a concern of that here, since major construction isn't intersecting with any of their interests. (There are only minor things being done to the ConEd-adjacent section)

Anonymous said...

I wonder how much Con Ed is gonna raise their rates for this one.

Anonymous said...

Thanks go out to all the hard workers past and present that have contributed to this exciting project. A lot of sweat and tears went into your efforts. Thank you for continuing to persevere and move foreward.

Anonymous said...

Zero

Anonymous said...

@10:48am: Is that you, Mayor Adams?

Hell yes, I'm getting echoes of the 2nd Ave. Subway project! IF you were here 50 years ago, you'd know that they DUG UP 2nd Ave. from 14th down to about 11th St. to put in the platforms & track-bed for that 2nd Ave. Subway station that was going to be happening very soon.

It's half a century later, and we're no closer to having a 14th St. 2nd Avenue Subway stop than we were back then, so perhaps you can comprehend why I have a wait-and-see attitude regarding the park work. Maybe the park work will even be finished in this decade!

Anonymous said...

The mayor is commenting on the Grieve!!!

Anonymous said...

As for progress, I see little looking out from the Williamsburg Bridge crossing. It looks like . . . one giant parking lot, and hasnt seemed to change much since the fall.

My worry is that the other sections will move forward on schedule while the old sections are not completed and opened, and before you know it the entire park from 14 Street to Cherry is one big parking lot, and unfinished.

Anonymous said...

Cut down hundreds of trees and make it hard for people to bicycle! Amazing way to combat climate change. Such an exciting project, using concrete, lots of trucks, cranes and bulldozers to destroy nature to protect against flooding! Incredibly innovative thinking NYC, as ever!

Jacob Underwood said...

Still closed! Anyone have any idea when it will reopen?

Anonymous said...

Does anyone have updates on the timing to re-open?