NYC replaces 5,000 feet of sewers, catch basins amid street redesign

New York City (NYC) officials have completed $231 million in upgrades to Manhattan’s sewer and water mains, as well as safety improvements along one of Midtown’s major corridors.

The infrastructure project included the installation of 5,000 feet of sewers and catch basins, 18,000 feet of large steel trunk water mains, and 51,000 feet of regular ductile iron water mains. It also included a street redesign to reclaim more space for pedestrians.

Many of the mains that were taken out of service were installed more than a century earlier.

“This massive undertaking is much more than meets the eye and installed 48-inch steel trunk mains through some of the most crowded parts of Manhattan while connecting neighborhoods to DEP’s new Third Water Tunnel,” said NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley. “DDC’s In-House Design Team did a remarkable job here so that water supply improvements and street redesign could come together in one comprehensive rebuild of the area’s infrastructure.”

“This dynamic redesign of 9th Avenue is a shining example of city government and the community working together to improve our streets and sidewalks,” said NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “Along with similar great work on Seventh and Eighth Avenues, DOT is continually looking for ways to enhance the safety of our public realm and address sidewalk congestion by balancing the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. I thank Mayor Adams, Commissioner Foley, Council Member Bottcher, and DOT staff for making this vital neighborhood street safer for all users.”

The project began as a major water main project by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and DDC that from 2012 to 2017 made connections at four Manhattan sites to the City’s Third Water Tunnel. At the conclusion of that work, DEP added to the project more major water main work along 9th Avenue in the 50’s.

DOT then seized on that opportunity to complete with DDC a full roadway reconstruction and street redesign that provides a host of benefits to the corridor, including the installation of expanded sidewalks that reduce pedestrian congestion and shorten pedestrian crossings; updated intersection treatments for cyclists; and new commercial loading zones.

The expanded sidewalks on Ninth Avenue join Midtown’s “Super Sidewalks,” a growing DOT treatment to mitigate congested pedestrian corridors, such as Seventh and Eighth Avenues.

As part of the project, DEP and DDC installed 18,000 feet of large steel trunk water mains and 51,000 feet of regular ductile iron water mains. While the streets were open, 5,000 feet of sewers along with catch basins were replaced. As part of the final street restoration, 650,000 square feet of roadway along with curbs and sidewalks were reconstructed.