Traffi c snarls at Unionport Bridge expected to get worse
Despite the presence of hard-working traffi c agents around the roads connecting to the Unionport Bridge, its reconstruction project has
exacerbated the normally heavy traffi c. Photo by Silvio Pacifi co
$6.6 million renovated historic Saw Mill Playground reopens
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J BTR ULY 5-11, 2019 3
BY ROBERT WIRSING
A popular Mott Haven playground
has reopened just in time for summer.
On Friday, June 7, Bronx Parks
Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa
and NYC Department of Environmental
Protection Bronx Borough coordinator
Effi e Ardizzone joined students
and administrators from P.S. 369, P.S.
352 and P.S. 179 and residents for a ribbon
cutting ceremony for the newly
renovated Saw Mill Playground.
The Community Parks Initiative
project was made possible through
$6.6 million from Mayor de Blasio and
$1.4 million allocated from DEP for
green infrastructure to help improve
the Harlem River’s health.
The 0.92-acre playground features
revamped basketball courts, new play
equipment, youth fi tness equipment,
a synthetic turf fi eld, multi-purpose
area and spray showers.
The newly constructed comfort
station is anticipated to open this fall,
according to NYC Parks.
“With the new amenities and features,
we are confi dent it will be a
community hub,” expressed Rodriguez
Rosa.
To commemorate the momentous
occasion, Rodriguez-Rosa and others
joined local youth on the swings and
played a bean bag toss game at the
playground.
Saw Mill Playground is outfi tted
with green infrastructure to manage
stormwater runoff which is able to
capture 1.3 million gallons of stormwater
annually.
DEP has committed approximately
$50 million in funding for green infrastructure
installations at CPI sites
throughout the city, helping to reduce
sewer overfl ows that sometimes occur
during heavy rainfall, improve
Continued on page 69
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
Traffi c approaching the Unionport
Bridge isn’t likely to let up anytime
soon as its reconstruction reaches a
critical stage.
The project is now entering one
of the more complicated phases of
the bridge’s replacement, with temporary
crossings over Westchester
Creek just about completed, to allow
for the new bridge installation to begin
this fall.
Preliminary preparation work for
the temporary structures is already
underway.
The long anticipated work is
roughly two years into its fi ve-year
plan according to the project’s recalculated
timetable.
“The temporary bridge structures
are currently being assembled and
work is progressing,” said Alana Morales,
NYC Department of Transportation
spokeswoman. “We anticipate
traffi c to shift onto the temporary
structures this fall, and will continue
to coordinate with all of our state and
local agency partners.”
Vehicular capacity on the temporary
bridge structures will remain
the same as the current bridge, she
stated.
Nevertheless, traffi c backups
have remained heavy on the roads
approaching the bridge despite the
use of NYPD Traffi c Agents at peak
traffi c periods.
Some cautioned that more painful
travel for motorists is expected as the
project continues.
“It is coming into shape (the
Unionport Bridge),” said Matt Cruz,
Community Board 10 district manager.
“It is important for folks to be
mindful that summer brings delays
as more as people travel with their
families. So I anticipate that traffi c
around the Unionport Bridge will
worsen.”
That being said, Cruz added that
Continued on page 69
Bronx Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa (r) pushes a girl on a swing in the newly reopened Saw Mill Playground.
Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks