Broadway 1 reconstruction will replace aging infrastructure and roadway

The city recently shared details about the $48 million capital reconstruction of Broadway, between Ann and Rector Streets, with several city organizations and agencies. Called "Broadway 1," the project is planned to start in spring 2013 and run through approximately spring 2017, with  Department of Design and Construction (DDC) crews replacing the century-old water main and other vital utilities inside the roadbed.

View the full DDC presentation here.

The DDC has planned the project for several years, coordinating its timing and scope of work with other Lower Manhattan infrastructure projects. Already the agency has replaced several miles of decades-old water mains, sewers, electric, gas, and other utilities on Fulton, Peck Slip, Chambers, Hudson, and other streets, much of it with federal funding assistance for post-9/11 rebuilding. The reconstruction projects upgrade aging pipes, ducts, manholes, and more to help prevent breaks and emergencies. Streets, drainage systems, curbs, and sidewalks also are rebuilt, often with new pedestrian ramps, signs, and lighting.

The Broadway 1 work is expected to begin on the north end, at Ann Street, and work southward. Crews will focus on two blocks at a time, with the first segment from Ann to John planned for an approximately 18-month duration. Two traffic lanes of Broadway will be maintained during the project, with traffic-enforcement agents and flaggers assisting vehicular and pedestrian flow.

With work at the MTA's Fulton Center (at Broadway and Fulton) planned to continue through 2014, the DDC plans extensive coordination to both minimize traffic impacts, and potentially utilize the already-closed eastern lane of Broadway at the transit center site. The goal is to complete that section of work in time for the Fulton Center's official opening in summer 2014. Details are still being worked out with the Broadway 1 project kickoff still months away.

The DDC already is working with the Department of Transportation and Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC) to help with utility company, city agency, and community outreach. DDC Assistant Commissioner Tom Foley and Executive Director of Community Outreach and Notification Maria Centeno also recently presented the Broadway 1 scope to Community Board 1 and other groups as part of the extensive community outreach program.

The project also is coordinating with the Downtown Alliance, and will replace the ticker-tape parade "Canyon of Heroes" strips embedded in the Broadway sidewalks, and install its streetscape lighting and other elements upon completion. Through the Alliance's Re:Construction project, work-zone beautification also will help improve the project's appearance while sharing the work of international visual artists as public art installations.

As with all of the DDC capital reconstruction projects, Broadway 1 will be assigned a community-outreach liaison who will assist with notification when temporary water shutoffs are needed, and provide brochures, newsletters, and regular e-mail updates to keep local stakeholders aware of its progress.

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