This shot of the city’s reconstruction of Chambers St. that finished up in 2014 gives a hint of what residents of Warren St. will have to look forward to over the next two years — at least — starting in February.
BY COLIN MIXSON
The city will start ripping up Warren St. in February to make way for the replacement of the aging infrastructure below in a project that will leave locals enduring noise, dust, traffic jams, sidewalk closures and other hassles for at least the next two years.
“It will be extremely difficult for the residents there,” said Bruce Ehrmann, a member of Community Board 1’s Tribeca Committee.
The Department of Design and Construction posted notices along the roadway between West St. and Broadway advertising the upcoming inconvenience on Dec. 27.
The work will include the installation of new water mains, and the renovation of combined sewage lines below the street. New York’s first neighborhood, Downtown has some of the most ancient and break-prone water mains in the city, sonme of which are more than a century old.
Warren St. itself — including the roadway’s curbs and sidewalks — will also be reconstructed, with some of its streetlights and traffic signals being replaced as well, according to the city.
The Warren St. project comes amid an even larger rip up on Worth St. that’s expected to last at least until 2021, and on the heels of city work that saw Chambers St. torn up and repaved in a four-year reconstruction that dragged on for nearly a year longer than originally planned.
Locals are expecting the construction to be a massive source of frustration over the coming years, according to one longtime Tribeca resident.
“It makes walking around as a pedestrian extremely difficult,” said Karen Stamm. “It’s really a huge burden for everybody.”
Members of CB1’s Tribeca Committee were riled after being informed by a city rep on Wednesday that a contractor had already been signed up before consulting the board, despite requests following the Worth St. rip up for CB1 to be involved before the planning process is complete.
“[The contractor] bids on the contract to finish it as quickly as possible to make the most money he can,” said board member Marc Ameruso, speaking to rep from the city’s Department of Design and Construction. “If he can do it in two-and-half years and he has to work on nights and weekends, then screw the public! The fact that the public is not involved until that decision is a fait accompli is what the problem is … we should be involved before that so the contractor knows that nights and weekends are not acceptable.”
The one-way street’s single traffic lane will remain open to motorists, but drivers should expect to see parking along the four affected blocks to be axed to accommodate work, and keep an eye out for new “No Parking” signs posted along the route.
Stops for the M9 and M5 buses, as well as express bus service may need to be relocated temporarily.
Locals and drivers should expect to see work between 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday–Friday, along with occasional weekend and overnight work.
Nearby residents may also experience interruptions to their water service, with advisories posted 72 hours before service shutdowns, and garbage collection will also be affected, according to the city.
