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Current construction happening on east side of Broadway
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Construction of the $844 million Fulton Street Transit Center is on target, according to Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officials who presented to Community Board 1 on December 11th.
Project director Ray Finnegan explained the project according to its three distinct contracts.
Contract 1
Upgrades to the 2/3 Fulton Street subway platforms were completed in late November 2006. The work included a rehabilitated platform with new lights, rebuilt walls, and installation of a new staircase to improve rider access.
Creation of new southern-platform subway entrances at the 4/5 Fulton Street station is progressing. The new east side (northbound 4/5 trains) entrance will open in April 2007, while work on the west side of Broadway (southbound trains) will continue through summer 2007. To accommodate that work, MTA and the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) will close Cortlandt Street to vehicles from January to June 2007. Pedestrian access will be maintained.
According to Finnegan, the Cortlandt Street closure is necessary for crews to expedite construction, including heavy utility work, while protecting the street's underground vaults from traffic weight. To provide an alternative east-west connector, however, DOT will temporarily make 43-foot-wide Liberty Street, one block south, a two-way street.
Contract 2
Decontamination of the two-story 189 Broadway building began on December 6th and will continue through mid-January 2007. Deconstruction of the building will follow immediately, with completion planned for early February 2007. Once removed, MTA crews will be able to begin work on the new station entrance at the southwest corner of Broadway and Dey Street.
Construction of the Dey Street Pedestrian Concourse will continue through summer 2008. Crews are now excavating the street to approximately 50 feet below grade, adjusting utilities, and preparing structural support around the 4/5 and R/W subway tubes.
One major update to the project schedule is the postponed reopening of the Cortlandt Street R/W station. The delay comes at the request of the Port Authority, which is constructing new foundations for the World Trade Center (WTC) along Church Street and simultaneously building the WTC Transportation Hub. With both of those projects already underway, MTA is now working with the Port Authority to determine when the station can be safely reopened to passengers.
Contract 3
On the east side of Broadway between John and Fulton Streets, construction of the main Transit Center entrance is underway. MTA is beginning installation of the secant pile wall that will support the site's foundation during demolition of buildings 194 through 210 Broadway.
Crews are preparing those buildings for demolition that is to start in mid-February 2007 and require about one year to complete. During that time, the Corbin Building at the corner of Broadway and John Street will be protected, and its base will eventually serve as the Transit Center entrance.
Subways will keep running throughout the Fulton Street Transit Center's construction, while maintenance and protection of traffic agreements will keep pedestrians and vehicles moving at street level.
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