At last night's Community Board 8 Traffic and Transportation Committee meeting the reconstruction of the Broadway Bridge by the Department of Transportation and the replacement of the #1 Subway tracks by the MTA were discussed in two separate presentations.
The DOT said that the lift span on the bridge would be overhauled with new cables and lifters among the many items that are to be replaced in the three year project covering three phases where different parts of the roadway would be closed. It was said that two lanes of traffic would be maintained at all times, but a detour route would be in place to ease the congestion of the work. The DOT project is expected to begin in April of 2018, and that there would be more information released to the Community Board as the date approaches. There may be sporadic closures of the bridge for short periods of time during the construction period with the bridge having to be opened five times a day each day for 150 openings and closings the last month of construction. Hence the detour to Bailey Avenue to Sedwick Avenue to Fordham Road and the University Avenue Bridge to West 207th Street. It was said that traffic agents would be on hand to help the already overcrowded University Avenue Bridge, and the rest of the detour when in use. An interesting note on the design of the new roadway is a bike lane on both sides of the Broadway Bridge after reconstruction. It was said that the Broadway bridge is part of the Appalachian Trail which leads into Van Cortlandt park. I asked since CB 8 has only one official bike lane, if there would then be a bike lane going up Broadway to VCP. The answer was maybe, that would have to be worked out first with the traffic on Broadway. It was said by DOT that there is some bike usage of the current Broadway Bridge and that is why the bike lane was put into the roadbed to promote more bike usage.
The proposed detour route with Broadway and West 225th Street in the circle as the starting point.
The MTA then gave a presentation on track replacement of the #1 line of 665 linear feet of track on the Broadway Bridge. There are three tracks on the bridge and the MTA will be replacing them in three different phases. Before the DOT begins work on the bridge the MTA will replace the southbound track in February of 2017. Cranes will be set up on West 225th Street and on the mainland Manhattan side at 9th Avenue. It was said that only daytime work can be done by the MTA, and that the cranes will be moved after the days work is finished to return the next day. For the February MTA track replacement one side of traffic on the bridge would be closed w, while the other side would be divided into two way traffic. The other work would be in July of 2017 to replace the center and northbound tracks. Photos of the MTA plan are below.
Above - Where the crane would be placed on West 225th Street on the west side Broadway.
Below - How traffic would flow on the bridge during the MTA construction only.
Above -The schedule for the MTA February construction.
Below - The impact on the Broadway Bridge during the MTA construction.
Above - The impact on subway service during the MTA construction.
Below - The July MTA construction schedule.
