City completes $17.3 million sewer and street upgrade in
Rosedale to improve street conditions, alleviate fl ooding
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
A $17.3 million project to improve
street conditions, alleviate flooding
and upgrade infrastructure in Rosedale
has been completed two months
ahead of schedule, city officials announced
on Friday, Sept. 24.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYC
Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP), NYC Department of
Transportation (DOT) and the NYC
Department of Design and Construction
(DDC) announced the installation
of 5,000 feet of new water mains,
2,800 feet of new storm sewers, and
44,000 feet of new or rebuilt sidewalks
to make the neighborhood
more resilient than ever.
The project is part of a $2.2 billion
investment by the de Blasio administration
to build a comprehensive
drainage system, improve street
conditions and alleviate flooding in
southeast Queens.
The program, the largest of its
kind, consists of 43 projects overall,
including 16 that are substantially
completed, five that are in active construction
and 11 that are in design.
“As extreme climate events become
more frequent, infrastructure
investments in our roads and sewers
only become more critical,” de
Blasio said. “The completion of this
project will not only improve Rosedale’s
street conditions and alleviate
flooding, it will also ensure safer
and more resilient streets for years
to come.”
DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza
said the $17.3 million investment
to install new storm sewers and
catch basins in Rosedale delivers on
the de Blasio administration’s commitment
to upgrading and improving
the drainage infrastructure in
southeast Queens.
“I want to thank our partners at
DDC and DOT for their impressive
work on this project, completing it
about two months ahead of schedule
and just in time for hurricane season,”
Sapienza said.
Work in Rosedale occurred on 10
individual blocks. More than one
mile (5,500 feet) of water mains —
some of which were installed before
World War II — were replaced with
new pipes ranging from eight to 12
inches in diameter. Fire protection
was enhanced with the replacement
of 15 fire hydrants and installation of
four new fire hydrants. Two bollards
were placed in front of each fire hydrant
to protect them from potential
vehicle damage.
A total of 2,780 feet of new storm
sewers were added to the neighborhoods,
ranging in size from 15 inches
Revamped roadways, sidewalks and curbs throughout the project area are designed to guide stormwater to the newly installed
storm sewers. Photo courtesy of City Hall
in diameter up to 3 feet by 5 feet. To
better capture stormwater and direct
it to the new storm sewers, 35 new
catch basins were installed and nine
existing ones were replaced.
Nearly 300 feet of new 10-inch
sanitary sewers was installed and
400 feet of sanitary sewers were replaced
with pipes ranging from 10
to 12 inches. Two new underground
sewer chambers help the new infrastructure
TIMESLEDGER | Q 2 NS.COM | OCT. 1 - OCT. 7, 2021
in the neighborhood operate
at peak efficiency.
As part of the final street restoration,
17,570 square yards of new asphalt
was laid down over a new concrete
base and 43,775 square feet of
sidewalk and 8,775 feet of curbs were
added or rebuilt.
Throughout the project area, 27
old trees were removed, but 57 new
trees were planted, resulting in a net
gain of 30 trees overall.
Compliance with the American
with Disabilities Act (ADA) was improved
with the replacement of 39 old
pedestrian ramps and the addition of
10 new ADA-compliant ones.
DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman
said they’re committed to continuing
to work with fellow agencies
to keep the city’s roads in a state
of good repair and protected from
flooding.
“Extreme climate change events
underscore the importance of infrastructure
projects like this one, and
these infrastructure upgrades represent
a significant investment in
southeast Queens,” Gutman said.
Meanwhile, DDC Commissioner Jamie
Torres-Springer said they will continue
to implement major infrastructure
investments throughout southeast
Queens with the DEP and DOT.
Lawmakers representing southeast
Queens commended the three
city agencies for completing the project
on time. However, they also say
there’s still more work to be done to
help all neighborhoods affected by
flooding.
Queens Borough President Donovan
Richards thanked DEP, DOT and
the DDC for working effectively to
improve the quality-of-life of Rosedale’s
residents.
“The completed work in Rosedale
is an important investment in our
borough’s future that will do a great
deal to enhance street conditions, alleviate
flooding, increase storm resiliency,
and improve accessibility,”
Richards said. “This work underscores
the city’s strong commitment
to alleviating chronic flooding and
addressing our borough’s significant
infrastructure needs.”
State Senator James Sanders Jr.
said flooding is a persistent problem
in Rosedale and other parts of southeast
Queens and the Rockaways.
“I am glad the city is taking this
seriously and making strides to help
homeowners and businesses who suffer
constant damage as a result of rising
water,” Sanders Jr. said. “However,
more needs to be done and I would like
to see continued efforts by this administration
to help all neighborhoods
that are experiencing this issue.”
For as long as Assemblywoman
Alicia Hyndman can remember,
southeast Queens has had issues
with flooding and rising groundwater,
she said.
According to Hyndman, it’s important
that the city’s agencies such
as the DEP and DDC undertake projects
such as this which would help
address the issue in their neighborhoods.
“Although this is a great step in
the right direction, a lot more needs
to be done to ensure our neighborhoods,
including homeowners and
businesses who constantly have to
deal with damages as a result of
flooding are well taken care of,”
Hyndman said. “I am grateful for the
continuous work and dedication of
DEP and DDC staff committed to upgrading
and improving the drainage
infrastructure in southeast Queens.”
As recent record-breaking storms
as a result of climate change occur
more frequently, Councilwoman Selvena
Brooks-Powers said “the time
to prepare is now.”
“This critical project is exactly
what Rosedale needs to prevent the
chronic flooding that routinely impacts
our community,” Brooks-Powers
said. “By investing in resilient
infrastructure, expanding the capacity
of our catch basins and storm
drains, we can ensure safer streets
across southeast Queens.”
Reach reporter Carlotta Mohamed
by e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone at
(718) 260–4526.
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