Brady PieperNew York City is planning massive safety improvements to a downtown intersection that could be at risk of terror attacks.
The New York Department of Transportation (NYDOT) will begin a safety project on a stretch of West 42nd Street next summer to prevent future terror attacks and renovate street infrastructure.
Following the deadly terror attack in New Orleans last month, the estimated $57 million project will provide permanent upgrades to the aging intersection between Seventh and Eighth avenues.
NYDOT will commit approximately $41.7 million to the project, while the state Department of Environmental Protection will invest about $15.2 million to the venture.
The proposed upgrades, which are expected to include wider sidewalks, steel faced concrete curbs, security bollards and planters, are anticipated to prevent vehicle-based terror attacks while enhancing vital aging infrastructure, such as water and sewer lines beneath the intersection.
Other proposed improvements and goals will include reducing sidewalk congestion and emphasizing sustainable infrastructure throughout the corridor under guidance of the state’s Envision initiative.
In tandem with other large New York City projects, the city will coordinate with several different transportation agencies to implement upgrades on 42nd Street so as not to interrupt other efforts, such as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s $10 billion Midtown Bus Terminal Replacement.
Project officials for the 42nd Street pedestrian security initiative anticipate the design to be finalized by the end of this year. While the full project is expected to be completed by 2030, the city will continue to coordinate with stakeholders and community representatives through the Department of Design and Construction’s Office of Community Outreach + Notification.
Photo courtesy Steven Lek, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
