3-Year Water Main Upgrade Project Begins On Flatbush, 6th & Surrounding Streets

PARK SLOPE – Last week a reader in Park Slope sent in the above photo of a sign posted by the NYC Department of Design & Construction (DDC) advising neighbors about BED798, a major construction project that began on Wednesday, January 31 and will last until Summer 2021.

Crews will be working to upgrade water main pipes in the vicinity of Flatbush and 6th Avenues as well as adjacent streets. Their permitted work hours are Monday through Friday from 7am to 6pm.

In the coming weeks, construction crews will focus on preliminary work around 8th Avenue between Lincoln and Berkeley Place where they will be saw-cutting the roadways, digging test pits, and installing tree guards, Niel Patel, the Community Construction Liaison for the project told BKLYNER. Crews will then move north toward the intersection of Flatbush and Sterling Place where they’ll continue the preliminary work. Actual work on the water mains will begin later in February.

The project is a necessary upgrade of the existing infrastructure, Daniel Leibel, a DDC spokesperson, told BKLYNER. The work consists of installing all new water main pipes “to ensure the delivery of necessary services,” he added.

The DDC says the project involves the replacement of various sized water mains, ranging from 8-inch, 12-inch, 20-inch, and a 72-inch trunk main located on St. Johns Place near the intersection of 6th Avenue. The project also includes the installation of combined sewers in select areas as well as catch basins and manholes. The 8th Avenue Triangle by Grand Army Plaza will also be reconstructed.

During construction hours, area residents and business owners can expect street closures and detours, parking and driveway/loading dock restrictions, water service interruptions, and increased levels of noise and dust caused by heavy machinery. In the event of water service interruptions, service will be restored by the end of the work day.

Pedestrian access to sidewalks and buildings will not be affected and emergency vehicle access will be maintained at all times throughout the project.

Advisory notices, like the one pictured above, will be distributed throughout the affected project work area as necessary, in advance of the anticipated work, the DDC promises.

Last month, the DDC project team met with area schools including M.S. K266 and P.S. 77 (both located at 62 Park Place), as well as with the School Construction Authority and Department of Education, to discuss the project details and the concerns of the schools. “The project team is sensitive to the nearby schools and will work in a way that is least disruptive during school hours,” Leibel said.

Concerns raised by the schools include noise, parking, and traffic during pick-up and drop-off times. The project team is continuing to meet with school officials in the area to coordinate and address their concerns, Patel said.

The DDC project comes on the heels of a National Grid project that kicked off over the summer to upgrade the area’s natural gas main infrastructure which was done in preparation for the water main work. According to Leibel, “utility lines were relocated so that the [current] work can be completed without any disruption to residents.”

Anyone with questions regarding the BED798 project, or residents with special needs who may be affected by the scheduled work, can contact Niel Patel, the project’s Community Construction Liaison, at bed798ccl@gmail.com or 347.889.5271.