From the latest Construction Alert: not much new, but a third shift may still be requested

Below is the latest two-week Atlantic Yards Construction Alert, covering the weeks beginning today, 8/15/11. There's no major news, as far as I can tell, though I've bolded certain pieces of text that represent tweaks from the previous report, dated 8/1/11.

Note that no third shift permit has yet been granted, despite multiple mentions that it might be requested, and that the purported request for permission to begin deliveries at 6 am seems odd, since a permit to begin deliveries at 5 am has already been granted.

(It may be that the former request regards a separate part of the site, but perhaps the next ombudsman can clarify that for us.)

Deliveries & Site Access

Hunt has demobilized the access ramp at Dean Street and Flatbush Avenue. This gate will no longer accept primary deliveries. The main gate and delivery ramp is now and will remain for the future at Pacific Street and 6th Avenue. The access route to the Pacific gate remains posted at the site and is the same as it has been throughout the project. Access is also available via the Atlantic Avenue gates
at the Fort Greene intersection, midway between the Ft. Greene and 6th Avenue intersection and at the 6th Avenue intersection.

Excavation for storm/sanitation/water services near the intersections of Dean & Flatbush as well as 6th & Pacific will continue during this reporting period and the next. These excavations (trenches) will be in excess of 25 feet below street level and will require tie-in to existing piping within both Dean Street and/or 6th Avenue. Permits are being submitted to borough agencies to allow the tie-ins and a maintenance and protection of traffic (MPT)/pedestrians plans(s) is being prepared; installation will not occur until permits have been granted. A second and/or third shift is being considered to execute this work. Permits for a second or third shift to perform this work will be submitted prior to beginning the work.

Track Outages (General Orders)

IRT and BMT Tunnel inspections have taken place and repair work will be implemented during scheduled NYCT track outages during evenings and weekends. An IRT GO is scheduled for Saturday, August 27th to perform ceramic tile work. The next BMT GO’s will take place in September and October and are currently being scheduled with NYCT. Minor repair and cleanup work will occur on selective evenings under scheduled NYCT flagging protection.

The railyard

Drilling – Support of Excavation, & Tiebacks,
Drilling of tiebacks will continue in various areas of the yard (BL1120 and BL1121). These tiebacks are drilled by small rigs, and are required at several elevations as excavation and lagging continue to the final depth of the yard sub-grade. Tieback drilling and placement of the attendant wood lagging will continue for several months, as they go together with excavation. Posillico/Tully has completed the preparatory work for the drilling of the car shop mini piles. Drilling of the test pile has been completed. The pile has been tested and passed. Production drilling has started in the car shop and with the low head room drill rig and will continue for the next several weeks. Due to the need to expedite this work for structural support and stability we are progressing this work item on a double shift. The second shift will run from 3 PM to 11 PM weekdays.

Replacement of Adjacent Water Mains and other Utility Work

On behalf of the DEP, FCRC is managing the installation of new water trunk main and associated distribution mains on Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues. The work is divided into three stages.

• Stage One is the work on the west side of Flatbush, north of the Atlantic intersection, continuing across Flatbush to the edge of the transit improvements on the arena block. This is called Stage One because the design of this section was critical to the remaining two stages. The actual installation will follow Stage Two.
• Stage Two is the work along the south side of Atlantic Ave from a location just west of the former 5th Avenue bed, running eastward to a location west of the 6th Avenue intersection.
• Stage Three is the area between Stages One and Two, across Flatbush Avenue and the top of the future new transit station improvements.

The installation of the new trunk water main in Stage Two on the south side of Atlantic Avenue east of the Fort Green intersection is complete, cleaned, pressurized and inspected. As of this writing, the chlorination and sampling is being performed and is expected to be complete before the next two week period. However, if more sampling is required, the work will continue. All work will be performed behind MPT.

Stage one began in early August. The first work will include the installation of a distribution water main along the sidewalk of Flatbush, north of Atlantic. The work will be done at night (10 pm to 6 am) and will require partial closure of the sidewalk and the curb lane of traffic during the work hours.

The work will take two to three months in this location and then will move on southward and cross Flatbush.


Over the next several weeks the Contractor will be installing three taps into the waters mains on Flatbush Avenue and Dean Streets. Work will take approximately 1 to 1 ½ weeks each. Work will take place either behind MPT or at night (10 pm to 6 am) depending on the location of the main.

Block 1129 (Carlton, Dean, Vanderbilt, Pacific) – Construction Staging

FCRC and Hunt have activated a delivery dispatch center here to dispatch all delivery trailers and trucks to the arena site in order to further minimize impacts to the local traffic and pedestrian patterns. This dispatch center will remain in operation during this reporting period.

The placement of additional geo-textile fabric and stone on Block 1129 to assist with dust control and maintenance of streets will continue as needed during this reporting period. Precast concrete risers, tubs and vomitory wall deliveries to the lay down area east of 752 Pacific Street will continue this period. Façade panel delivery and staging is being added to the materials temporarily stored in Block 1129 this reporting period.

Occupancy/Use of the laydown area due south of the 752 Pacific Street office will continue during this period. Excavation materials from the Dean Street ramp are being temporarily stored in this lot and are expected to remain for two to six months. The material has been covered with a stabilizer that keeps the dust from migrating similar to a plastic tarp. Access is via Pacific Street via approved truck routes.

Traffic Mitigation Site Work

The FEIS requires the construction of certain roadway, sidewalk and traffic signal improvements prior to arena opening to mitigate traffic projected in the area. Work will be divided into two seasons –summer/fall 2011 and spring/summer 2012. The details of the work have been reviewed with City agencies, Community Boards and the general public.

The first element of the 2011 work includes the installation of curb extensions at the Pacific/4th Avenue, Dean/Flatbush and Pacific/Flatbush intersections and the reversal of traffic from westbound to eastbound on Pacific between 4th and Flatbush Avenues. Permits for this work have been secured and work has commenced.

The northbound lanes of 4th Avenue were closed at Atlantic Avenue on July 31, 2011 with temporary MPT (see details below). During the next two-week period curb extensions, lights, signals, signs and pavement striping will be installed to achieve the closure of the northbound traffic on 4th Avenue, north of Atlantic Avenue. This phase of the work is expected to take approximately 4 to 6 weeks. The MPT will be modified several times during the course of the work to maintain safe pedestrian passage across the intersection. The details of the MPT have been reviewed by the DOT.

In addition, completion of the curb extension at Pacific and Flatbush, which started in previous periods, will continue as far as possible outside the sidewalk bridge in front of a private owner’s commercial building at 604 Pacific Street. The final sidewalk paving under the sidewalk bridge cannot be completed until the private owner makes repairs to his building and remove the protection. This phase of work is expected to be completed by the end of August.

The curb extension on Dean Street, west of Flatbush is expected to be constructed before the end of August. The contractor may choose to perform this work during the daytime work hours behind MPT which has been approved by the DOT.

Please Be Advised of Anticipated Nighttime & Weekend Work

During this reporting period the following work will be performed either at night or during the weekend as noted. All work will be done pursuant to approved permits:
Long Island Rail Road/Vanderbilt Yard/ Carlton Avenue Bridge:

• As of May 2nd, yard construction hours are 6am – 4:30pm.
• In addition, as of Saturday May 7, 2011, construction work will take place on Saturdays during the hours of 7am – 5:30pm for a period of at least three months. Saturday work is expected to continue for this reporting period.

Arena Site:

• Arena weekend work will be scheduled no later than close of business on the preceding Thursday, where make-up work due to weather or other delays makes it necessary. Saturday work is expected to continue for this reporting period.
• Subject to receipt of permits, a second shift may be continued throughout this reporting period, from 3 – 11 PM, Monday-Friday only. Also subject to receipt of permits, a third shift may be instituted during this reporting period, from 11 PM – 7 AM, Monday –Friday only.
• Hunt has requested a permit to allow for deliveries from 6 AM to 7 AM to the Arena site from the dispatch center. This work allows for an additional hour of deliveries to take place outside the neighborhood peak traffic patterns and reduce congestion and interference with the local traffic. The permit response is expected to be received this period. If granted, the intention is to continue to permit deliveries during this timeframe through to completion of the Arena.
• The Developer has been requested to advise ESDC and STV of what contractors will be working over the weekend and what they will be working on.

Atlantic Yards Construction Alert 8-15-2011