TRIBECA, Manhattan (PIX11) — A hidden world exists under the streets of New York.
The subway is a big part of the underground experience. But the maze of pipes and wires under your feet also has an impact on life in the city.
Construction can get delayed and cost more because crews don’t always know what they’ll find underneath the street.
Remove the road to reveal layers of the city. People have been wondering about and moving around the holes along a few blocks of Greenwich Street since November 2021.
“It reminds me of quadruple bypass surgery. It’s been going on a long, long time,” Moira North said.
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The project to replace a section of century-old water main was supposed to take about two and a half years and be completed in 2024. The new 20-inch pipe has yet to be installed along the four-block stretch.
Tom Wynne is deputy commissioner for infrastructure with the New York City Department of Design and Construction.
“All the interwoven pipes, it looks like a bowl of spaghetti,” Wynne said.
First, crews untangle and arrange the electrical and telecommunication lines. Engineers work with different maps from different sources and styles over the years.
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“What often happens is we pull it up and we have to dig with a spoon, with shovels to dig up pipes and see what’s live, what can move or stay,” Wynne added.
The maze has to be cleared, sorted out and in some cases supported. That adds to the project timeline and cost.
“Is there something that could get these down faster? Yes, the city is working on an underground map. We capture in 3D all the utilities and anything underground,” Wynne said.
They are planning for another year of construction along Greenwich Street between Chambers and Barclays Streets.
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