BY JACKSON CHEN | Water main replacements by the city Department of Design and Construction will disrupt two major stretches on the Upper East Side over the next 14 months with water service interruptions, temporary street closures, fewer parking spaces, and bus stop relocations, but at the end of it all an improved streetscape is promised for East 86th Street.
Begun this month, the DDC is working in phases to replace water mains on East 86th Street from Second to Park Avenues and on Madison Avenue between 84th and 85th Streets. The first phase of the project is now underway on the north side of East 86th Street between Third and Lexington Avenues. Once crews finish the north side, they will switch to the south side before moving on to other stretches along 86th Street, according to DDC’s deputy director of community outreach and notification Norberto Avecedo, Jr.
Since the replacement of the 12-foot water mains would leave residents and businesses without water for three hours at a time, Avecedo said the city would give notice to those affected 72 hours in advance, with another alert the day before the work that either confirms or cancels the earlier notice.
As the replacements occur and crews take up space on-site, residents would face temporary street closures and less room for parked cars. However, the DDC is planning to have traffic agents and flaggers on hand for pedestrian safety. The M86 Select Bus Service stops would also be temporarily relocated to a nearby corner if there’s conflicting renovation work.
Once the water mains are replaced, the DDC will be adding to the streetscape of the busy 86th Street corridor through installation of amenities such as new benches, tree guards, lampposts, and bike racks. The agency hasn’t confirmed the specifics of the streetscape design yet, so Community Board 8 asked the DDC to notify it when a finalized plan is available so the community can weigh in.
On top of the streetscape improvements, the agency will introduce neckdowns on several corners of East 86th Street street to create less crossing distance for pedestrians. Bus bulbs — which offer passengers a waiting area away from the sidewalk in order to reduce pedestrian congestion, while allowing buses to simply stop rather than pull over toward the curb — will be installed on 86th Street at Lexington and Third Avenues.
As for Madison Avenue, Acevedo said there is an ongoing Safe Routes to Schools project from the DDC that would provide three neckdowns on Madison Avenue.
Work for the 14-month project is scheduled for Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with no plans as of now for extending later into the afternoons or weekends, Acevedo said.
