UPPER EAST SIDE — East 86th Street is about to be hit with a slew of street closures, water service shut-offs and loss of parking spaces as the city starts a 14-month project to repair a water main underneath — one of several construction projects slated to tear up roads in the area in coming months.
Crews will be working to replace the water main on both the north and south sides of East 86th Street and on the west side of Madison Avenue between East 84th and East 85th Streets beginning this week, according to Norberto Acevedo Jr., a spokesman for the Department of Design and Construction and plans.
The city will give 72-hour advanced notice before shutting water off to buildings on the street due to the work, Acevedo said.
The construction will be done in phases, starting on the north side of East 86th street between Lexington and Third avenues this month. Crews will switch to the southern side of the block before it moves on to the next phase, he said.
Once the street is closed up, new sidewalk extensions will be built out to help the flow of foot traffic and make it safer for pedestrians to board the M86 Select Bus Service and cross the street, according to Acevedo.
"Once this is done, pedestrians will be able to see in both directions and not have to step off the curb to see if they can cross the street," he added. "The curbs will come out and will allow buses to pull straight forward and come to a stop, rather than pulling toward the curb."
The extensions will be installed along 86th Street at the northwest and southeast corners of Park Avenue, the northwest, northeast and southeast corners at Lexington Avenue and the northwest, southwest and southeast corners of Second Avenue, plans show.
More construction is underway just a few blocks away for a separate project. Curb extensions are being built along the west side of Madison Avenue at 84th and 85th streets in an effort to make street crossings safer for students walking to Saint Ignatius Loyola School, as part of the city's Safe Routes to School initiative. The project, another DDC initiative, will take about six months to complete.
Ceruzzi — the developer of a 18-story luxury tower at 147 E. 86th St. on the corner of Lexington Avenue — also has plans to remove the subway station stairway in the base of the existing building and build a new, wider stairway on the sidewalk.
Neither the MTA nor the developer could immediately provide a timeline for that work.
After work on the water main under East 86th Street is completed, the city plans to update the sidewalks above with new light posts, city benches, trees and tree pits and bike racks, Acevedo said.
The work will be done Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There may be times when work needs to be done later in the day or on weekends, but it is not planned, Acevedo said.
Those with concerns should reach out to the DDC's community liaison, Amelia Ramos, at e86streetccl@gmail.com.
