Overview

Times Square, the World’s Crossroads, is a transportation hub, tourist destination, and a center of commerce. The vehicle and pedestrian congestion in the area overwhelmed the street and sidewalk capacity from the morning rush-hour until past midnight. The Times Square reconstruction project transformed the area into a 2.5-acre permanent pedestrian-only public plaza on Broadway. LiRo-Hill provided resident engineering inspection services for the notable project.

About the Project

The scope of this project involved the road reconstruction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue from 42nd Street to 47th Street. The Broadway portion of the project involved the construction of a pedestrian mall using concrete pavers on a bonded mortar base and large granite benches. In addition the project included water main, sewer, catch-basins and the installation of a subgrade special event electrical power and control system. The entire project was over private building vaults, NYC Transit Subway lines, and underground pedestrian walkways. Additional improvements included new benches, kiosks, and sidewalks complemented by a southbound bike lane.

Project Challenges & Solutions

This project required the completion of a substantial portion of the project in time for the New Year’s Eve celebration at the end of 2013. This involved the resolution of design issues with the paver system, maintaining 24 hour access to businesses, coordination of daily broadcasts of ‘Good Morning America’, special events and movie shoots, accommodation of building renovations, and ensuring the safety of more than 100,000 visitors per day. Work proceeded on a seven-day double shift schedule.

Outcome

The conversion of Times Square into a pedestrian plaza created an iconic public space that people can enjoy and navigate, without having to walk through dangerous traffic thus making it safer and more welcoming for the millions of residents, commuters, and tourists that visit it each year.