News from the Construction Update: water main work, transit work (and outages), Flatbush Avenue snags continue

Here are some highlights from the latest Construction Update (embedded below), dated February 14 and prepared by Forest City Ratner and released by the Empire State Development Corporation

Water main work:

• A new water trunk main will be installed along Atlantic between Flatbush and 6th Avenue and associated distribution mains will be installed in the Flatbush/Atlantic Avenue intersection, and approximately 200 feet south in Flatbush toward Pacific Street. Work related to the original scope of an exploratory trench across Flatbush near Atlantic, and test pits along Atlantic Avenue to 6th Avenue, including additional pits requested by DEP have been completed. Recently, the DEP requested additional test trenching in Flatbush. This work was completed as well.

• Work on the new trunk water main will commence this period on the south side of Atlantic Avenue across from the Ft Green intersection and will continue eastward for the next 5 months. A section west of the Ft Green intersection will be installed in May 2011 when Transit Connection activites allow. All work will be performed behind MPT.
• The MPT along Atlantic Avenue will be modified near the 6th Avenue intersection during the next 2-week period.

Note that MPT is Maintenance and Protection of Traffic.

Ramp work

The Update clarifies information regarding ramps in the last Construction Update (also embedded below):

• The removal of the retaining wall along the north side of the former Pacific Street and the creation of a new access ramp into the site from Pacific Street will continue this period. The retention wall removal procedure has been reviewed and approved by DOB.
• The excavation for a new, temporary bowl access ramp that opens into Dean Street near intersection with Flatbush will continue during this reporting period. A site access gate to be located at the intersection of Dean Street and 6th Avenue, with curb cut at Dean Street, may be installed during this reporting period. The ramp that was previously reported to go in this area is no longer contemplated.

Transit work and outages

There are several track outages associated with repair work:

• Demolition of the TA structures continues. IRT and BMT Tunnel inspections have taken place and repair work will be implemented during scheduled NYCT track outages during evenings and weekends. IRT Track Outages are now scheduled for the weekends of February 5th and 19th. BMT Track Outages are now scheduled for March 5th, 12th and April 19th. Additional GO’s for both the IRT and BMT will be evaluated as the work progresses. Minor repair and cleanup work will occur on selective evenings under scheduled NYCT flagging protection.

Plastic bollards still out

As noted at the last Atlantic Yards District Service Cabinet meeting last Thursday, since the post-Christmas storm, the plastic bollards used to implement reversible lanes on Flatbush Avenue below Atlantic Avenue during rush hour were mangled and unusable, and remain as such:

• MPT @ Flatbush Ave - Maintenance of the MPT has been suspended due to the recent snow storms experienced over the last month. At this time the MPT is still in place but the lane changes are not being performed until the weather condition permit. We have advised the DOT that once the weather permits; the MPT will be restored and maintained.

As shown in the Construction Updates embedded below, this was announced in the previous document, dated 1/31/11, but not in the 1/17/11 one, though this all started after Christmas. I didn't notice until it came up at the Atlantic Yards District Service Cabinet.

AY Construction Alert 2-14-2011

Construction_Alert_1-31-2011

AY Construction Update 01-17-11