City Pilot Adds Plantings To Underpasses In Sunset Park

SUNSET PARK, NY — The Gowanus Expressway's steal support beams have been bedecked with planters and lights as part of a new city program.

The Design Trust for Public Spaces and the Department of Transportation brought their first installation in their pilot program "Under the Elevated/El-Space" to Sunset Park this month, which aims to turn these "neglected" spaces into "valuable community assets," according to the groups.

El-Space's first long-term installation was added underneath the highway at 36th Street and Third Avenue with greenery, large drains to catch storm water from the highway and lights to help people cross at night, Fox5 reported.

The city also plans to change up the parking areas underneath to improve traffic flow and create an 8-foot-wide walkway for people, the station reported.

The DOT and Design Trust first partnered for the El-Space project in 2015 and held two pop-ups in Manhattan and The Bronx for the project. They partnered with Industry City to bring their next phase, a more permanent installation, to Sunset Park this month.

The nonprofit Design Trust said that the city has nearly four times the amount of space as Central Park underneath highways, subways and rail lines in the five boroughs and the project wants to revitalize those areas, according to their website.

Design Trust and DOT are also working on adding similar installations to the Rockaway Freeway and Dutch Kills Street in Long Island City which they expect to open in the summer, Fox5 reported.

Image: Department of Transportation/Twitter