October 2, 2008

These pictures were taken on a Thursday around Noon, when the job site was very busy with activity in every block from 91st up to 96th.


btw. 91st & 92nd - looking N
In this picture, and the one that follows, you get an idea just how much equipment is now on the work site.



95th, NW corner - looking S



btw. 92nd & 93rd - looking W
Here one end of a 77 foot steel beam is slowly being lifted so that the beam can then be lowered down into into one of the secant pile holes on the west side of the avenue. (I can't imagine how much this beam must weigh.)



All traffic has now been stopped as workers prepare to position the (now vertical) beam over the hole.















btw. 93rd & 94th, SE corner - looking W
In this set of images you see a specialized clam shell bucket crane digging deep holes for the slurry walls on the west side of The Launch Box.


























92nd, NW corner - looking E
The rotary drilling rig - hard at work.






95th, NW corner - looking E
Here workers are pouring fresh concrete.



btw. 72nd & 73rd, E side - looking N
Here a worker has just marked (with an orange line) the outside edge of 2nd Avenue Subway construction zone for this block. This would suggest that the MTA's contractors will be starting work in this area soon.


73rd, NW corner - looking S



And and finally, this new Second Avenue Business Association poster was spotted in numerous store front windows in the neighborhood.

- - -

Here's a listing of the recent additions to the left-hand
column of The Launch Box:


Second Avenue Business Association:
Press Release - Second Ave Retailers Issue SOS - 09/25/08

Life on Second - drawings by the artist Dominick Santise:
"The Slurry Walls" - 10/13/08
"Center Stage" - 10/02/08
"Do Not Cross!" - 10/01/08
"Digging a Ditch" - 09/25/08

Video Links:
"2nd Avenue Heartache" by Jason Rice - 08/16/08
From YouTube:
"Trailer for a short documentary on the 2nd Avenue Subway Line, know as being "the most famous thing in New York that has never been built". Finally, after 70 years of planning, construction is under way. But how are Upper east Side residents and businesses dealing with the most massive construction project in the history of the city."


The next Meeting of
The Community Board 8 Second Avenue Subway Task Force
has now been announced

When:
Tuesday, October 28th
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Where:
Hunter College
129 East 79th Street
btw. Park & Lex)

Agenda:

1. Construction Update

a. Launch Box update

b. Shaft Site work at 69th and 72nd Streets


2. Architectural finishes and design:

a. 96th Street station

b. 86th Street station, except the entrance serving the east side of Second Avenue at 86th Street. **This entrance is being studied in an Environmental Assessment and will not be discussed at this time.

c. 69th Street entrance to 72nd Street station. **Because the entrance serving the east side of Second Avenue at 72nd Street is being studied in an Environmental Assessment, this entrance will not be discussed at this time. In addition, designs for the 72nd Street station ancillary facilities at 69th and 72nd Streets are not completed. When ancillary facility designs are complete, we will return to Community Board 8 to present them.

3. Old Business

4. New Business