Much-Delayed East Houston Street Construction Project Will Be Completed This Summer

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — The already-delayed East Houston Street Construction project is now set to wrap up this summer instead of the spring, according to city officials. The project has been going on for more than six years, but the Department of Design and Construction said they're now in the final stretch, DNAinfo reports.

The project was started in June 2010 with plans to reconstruct water mains and sewers, rebuild the road surface, and install new sidewalks, traffic lights and curbs along East Houston Street, from the Bowery to the FDR Drive.

"Officials initially anticipated a spring completion date for the work, but the department ran into delays due to interference with existing underground wiring while preparing to install the 20-inch water main west of Chrystie Street," DNAinfo reports.

Workers are now preparing to install a new water main near the Bowery intersection. There's also plans to construct a pedestrian "safety island" at 2nd Avenue, according to a city newsletter.

The city originally thought they'd complete the project in 2013, but the completion date has been continually pushed back because the city ran into problems with existing underground wiring and pipes.

Read the full DNAinfo article here.

Photo: Google Street View