To improve truck access to Hunts Point Peninsula, and enhance pedestrian mobility and livability for the community, VHB led the civil design for the reconstruction of a heavily travelled freeway through the congested urban corridor—all while maintaining the existing number of mainline travel lanes. A major commercial trucking route, this corridor became overwhelmed with truck traffic on local roads. Beyond that, safety issues such as deficient pedestrian crossings/protections, high crash rates, and substandard structures over Amtrak railways needed to be addressed.
Extensive design coordination and collaboration with the design-build team helped to meet an aggressive construction schedule while minimizing costs and meeting all project requirements. This included fast-tracking several early action items such as an expedited approval of the Phase 2 Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan/Notice of Intent from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation—a critical milestone that allowed construction activities to advance on schedule. The project also required coordination with public and private utility companies, Amtrak, CSX, and New York City Transit.
Upon completion, the project will enhance livability of the Hunts Point community, with construction of a new park, access to the Bronx River waterfront, and improved air quality from the redirection of commercial traffic that has historically used Hunts Point residential area as a cut through.
