MANHATTAN — Parks and piers along the Hudson River stretching from Lower Manhattan to West 57th Street will close at noon on Saturday because of Hurricane Irene, the Hudson River Park Trust announced Friday afternoon.
The park falls within Zone A of the city's hurricane evacuation plan, which faces the highest risk of flooding from the hurricane's storm surge. Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Friday morning mandatory evacuations for all residents living in Zone A.
"While there are no residents in the park, the closure is a critical precautionary safety measure," a statement from the Hudson River Park said. "The safety of our patrons, tenants and staff members is our highest priority."
The TriBeCa Skate Park, Pier 25 Mini-Golf Building and all boathouses will be closed, and all boating at Pier 25, Pier 40, Pier 66, Pier 84 and Pier 96 will be prohibited.
Sports fields at Pier 40 will close, and the Hudson River Park Trust will "likely need to close Pier 40 entirely," according to the statement.
Trapeze School New York, which teaches classes on Pier 40, has cancelled all classes on Saturday and Sunday.
People who need to access cars parked at Pier 40 are advised to do so before 5 p.m. Saturday.
The closure will remain in place until further notice, the statement said.
"We will continue to follow the direction of the Mayor’s and Governor’s offices, which are coordinating emergency response measures across the City and State," the statement said.
Locals with questions or concerns about the park can call its 24-hour operations line at (212) 242-6427.
