March 14, 2009

93rd, NE corner

This image was taken through a section of orange safety netting that was setup around a large hole that was being dug by hand. This work is being done by hand due to the close proximity of utility lines at this location - as you can see in the next image.



Here's a clear shot of the same location.



92nd, NW corner - looking north

The active work area was shifted to the east side of 2nd Avenue this past Tuesday, March 10th.

Here you see a block-long section of the concrete decking that is now in place on the west side of 2nd Avenue between a 95th street and a point just south or 92nd street.

This decking forms the the top (or the roof) of what will become the "launch box" -- an underground watertight structure that, when complete, will be approximately 75 feet wide, 75 feet deep (from street level) and 900 feet long. (It's called the "launch box" because this structure will serve as a launch site for the tunnel boring machine.)

Note the line of parked cars on the left. This image was taken on a Saturday, when parking is permitted. On weekdays between the hours of 7 AM and 7 PM no parking is permitted - so that 4 lanes of southbound traffic can get through the work area.



93rd, NW corner - looking south



94th, NW corner - looking east
In this image, and the 3 that follow, you see the workers moving a very long, and heavy, piece of steel. Here workers have just stopped the traffic on 93rd.



In this shot the steel piece is slowly being moved (from right to left), while the workers continue to protect the area.



Now the 2nd machine can be seen, on the right.



And finally, a wider shot of the scene.



btw. 93rd and 94th, east side - looking north
Here you have a closer look at the steel pieces that were being moved around the job site.



95th - looking south
Here two men (on the far side of the hole) can be seen using jack hammers to dig a small trench through the asphalt pavement on the east side of 2nd Avenue.



near the SE corner of 95th - looking north




In an effort to capture the (very) loud noise being produced by these jack hammers I decided to take a short video of the scene.

The 1st video clip was too large so I shot a 2nd clip. (the 2nd clip is shown above)

The men must have realized that I was recording the scene with my camera - which explains why they decided to ham it up a bit, by dancing, when I shot the 2nd video.



btw. 94th and 95th - looking south
This temporary pipe is being put down to transport concrete slurry from the plant up on 96th street to where it's needed on the job site.



A very close look at two of the valves on the slurry pipeline.



This special tool, I think, to melt the ends of the plastic pipe when they want to join two pieces to together.



93rd, SE corner - looking east
Here workers are lowering a replacement part (it looks like it's part of the exhaust system) onto one of the big Liebherr cranes.



Another view of the same scene.



btw. 91st and 92nd, W side of the street - looking east
Here workers are assembling a Bauer BG40 rotary drilling rig. It will be used to drill secant piles on the east side of the launch box.



Another view of the Bauer BG40.

Note the concrete forms on the left. They were poured about a year ago and then covered over while work progressed on the west side of the work site.

These forms will be used by the BG40 rotary drilling rig when it is used during the construction of secant piles at this location.



btw. 91st and 92nd, west side - looking NE
And at the southern end of the launch box site workers continue the relocation of utility lines and the installation of a new water main.



91st - looking south

- - -

And here's an interesting 1955 newsreel with the title:
America's Changing Scene -The End of the "El"
(i.e. in this case, the IRT Third Avenue Line.)


It's had to imagine that not so long ago the east side of Manhattan was served by elevated railway lines on both 2nd and 3rd Avenues (i.e. the IRT Second Avenue Line and the IRT Third Avenue Line), in addition to the Lexington Avenue Line - as shown on the map below.




And here's an old color film, from 1954, of the IRT Third Avenue Line: