On June 1st, 2007, New York State Department of Transportation’s (SDOT) much-anticipated revamp of West Street (Route 9A) began. The project extended the design of Promenade South, which rebuilt the sidewalks, roadways, and crossings south of West Thames Street, as well as renovated the Battery Park Underpass entrance.
West Street facing south
The West Street Promenade “Segment 2” project improved the boulevard between West Thames and Chambers Street. Some of its elements included restoring West Street to eight traffic lanes, updating utilities, landscaping, improving at-grade crossings, removing or modifying pedestrian bridges, and raising the road to match the World Trade Center’s (WTC) elevation.
SDOT also modified the approach to the West Street Underpass that links to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, making the tube reversible to accommodate rush-hour traffic.
TRAFFIC NOTE: Traffic patterns on several streets in north Battery Park City and elsewhere along West Street (Route 9A) are temporarily altered. Please see specific changes below.
PEDESTRIAN NOTE: The Vesey Street Pedestrian Bridge escalator is out of use on the west side of West Street for the next several months. SDOT is working with the Port Authority on replacement parts and repair work.
*The following information was last updated November 12, 2009.
Warren Street is one-way eastbound west of West Street through the end of 2009.
Vesey Street is one-way eastbound in Battery Park City from June through the end of January 2010
Murray Street is one-way westbound between West and North End from Oct. 3 through appx. Thanksgiving 2009
West Street (Liberty to Chambers): Traffic lanes shifted east for road restoration work through late 2009
West Street (Ward to Albany): Work underway since March 2, 2009 (with associated lane shifts)
West Street (Chambers to Murray): work in bikeway (in right southbound lane); began in June 2009, shifting traffic lanes east . Bikeway relocated June through Nov. 2009.
Rector Street will be dead-ended east of West Street through mid/late Nov. 2009
W. Thames Park reconstruction of the park and dog run begin October 13, 2009. Park to be fully closed through Memorial Day 2009; dog run will remain half-open. Bikeway closures also will occur for utility work beside the park.
SDOT and Port Authority to modify the Liberty Street Pedestrian Bridge, shifting the east extension to run southbound with stairway landing at West and Cedar Streets. Work to begin in late 2009 with new extension opening first quarter 2010.
Stakeholders meetings take place every third Friday of the month. For more information, contact the project's Community Outreach Liaison, Vivian Wu, by telephone at (800) 714-0454 or by e-mail at route9a@dot.state.ny.us.
The project began June 1st, 2007 and is expected to be substantially complete by the middle of 2009. The official completion is scheduled for winter 2009/2010.
The four-stage project will involve temporary traffic and sidewalk shifts, but advance community notification, signage, and detours are a key part of the construction program. To help alleviate traffic congestion, SDOT will assign traffic enforcement agents and maintain six lanes of traffic and the West Street bikeway/walkway at all times.
While city DOT is typically responsible for street and sidewalk construction projects in the five boroughs, the state is responsible for highways such as Route 9A (West Street).
