Long-Awaited West Thames Pedestrian Bridge Installation Begins

BATTERY PARK CITY, NY — A long-awaited pedestrian bridge connecting the Financial District to Battery Park City over West Street is finally coming to the neighborhood after years of delays.

The bridge's spans were lifted from barges in the Hudson River by cranes Wednesday morning, with an additional one expected in the afternoon, according to the Battery Park City Authority.

The Authority alerted Lower Manhattanites of its installation — with myriad street closures and parking changes this week as the West Thames Pedestrian Bridge makes its debut.

The bridge — which has been delayed for nearly a decade — is set to replace what was supposed to be a temporary pedestrian bridge at Rector Street, Crain's New York Business reported last August. Its construction was further thwarted after a welding defect was discovered in the bridge's spans, per Crain's.

The cost of the bridge was originally supposed to be set at $27.5 million, per an Economic Development Corporation project overview, but had since ballooned to more than $40 million, according to previous reports.

"This bridge particularly has taken way too long and cost an amazing amount of money," said Tammy Meltzer, a Battery Park City committee chair on Community Board 1. "The kids who it was designed for [at P.S. 276] are now in high school, literally."

But, she added, "I'm glad it will be done soon."

The footbridge will ultimately cross over West Street at West Thames Street and is expected to open to the public this fall, according to an EDC presentation to CB 1 in April.

The Rector Street footbridge will be demolished once the West Thames footbridge opens, the April EDC presentation said.

"I hope the design and construction will be exactly what they promised — a beautiful, safe, accessible bridge in all seasons," said Meltzer.

The bridge will be the final realization of a permanent bridge after pedestrian bridges were destroyed during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, according to previous reports and the EDC, which is overseeing the project.

Its funding comes from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the Battery Park City Authority. The bridge was designed by Weidlinger Associates and WXY Architects + Urban Design and is being constructed by Skanska USA, which tweeted updates on the bridge spans earlier this month.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday night all of West Thames Street and South End Avenue will be lit up for construction workers to work overnight safely during its installation, according to the Authority.

EDC did not respond to questions regarding the final cost of the bridge or an updated project timeline, though details are expected later this week.

Pedestrian bridges are a critical connection point to the westside and across the busy highway of West Street for Lower Manhattan neighbors, particularly considering the street safety issues that plague the neighborhood, Meltzer emphasized.

Just this April, an 81-year-old woman, Arlene Kalfus, was hit and killed by a bus on South End Avenue a block from her Battery Park City home — a woman remembered by her neighbors for "living life with a passion," Tribeca Tribune reported.

Earlier this month, the New York Post reported that Sarah Chan, 43, lost her foot after being hit by a drunk driver at Murray and West streets and had to undergo surgery on broken ribs, per a GoFundMe campaign for Chan.

"Anything you can do to make [crossing the street] safer is phenomenal," Meltzer said.

See below for more information on street changes this week:

Below are changes for pedestrians this week:

• West Thames Cul-De-Sac will be closed to foot traffic Wednesday, May 29 while bridge spans are delivered via barge.
• Battery Park City residents with parking at the West Thames Icon Garage will be allowed in and out during the closure.

Below are vehicular changes:

• Wednesday, May 29 beginning at 10 a.m.: Daytime road closures to vehicles at South End Avenue from Rector Place to the West Thames Cul-De-Sac and West Thames Street from South End Avenue to the Western Curb Line of Battery Place while the bridge spans are delivered via a barge.
• Friday, May 31, 6 p.m. to Saturday, June 1, 7 a.m.: Full vehicular closure of West Thames Street from West Street to the Cul-De-Sac, full vehicular closure of South End Avenue from Rector Place to the Cul-De-Sac, and full vehicular closure of Battery Place from Third Place to West Thames Street
• Saturday, June 1, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Full vehicular closure of West Thames Street from West Street to Battery Place Eastern Curb Line
• Saturday, June 1, 6 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Full vehicular closure of West Thames Street from West Street to the Cul-De-Sac, full vehicular closure of South End Avenue from Rector Place to the Cul-De-Sac, and full vehicular closure of Battery Place from Third Place to West Thames Street

Here are changes to the Downtown Alliance's free bus service this week:

• Wednesday, May 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, May 31 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, June 1 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: Battery Park City-bound Downtown Connection buses will run express from State and Whitehall streets to Vesey and the World Trade Center. Seaport-bound buses will skip South End Avenue at Rector Place and West Thames Street. Changes this week coincide with an all-summer-long change to the Downtown Connection, which you can read about here. For more information from the Downtown Alliance, see here.