UES Esplanade Reopens Despite Widening Sinkhole, City Says

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A portion of the East River Esplanade has been reopened to pedestrians after a widening sinkhole forced the city to close the block-long stretch, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation told Patch.

The closed portion between East 93rd and East 94th streets has now been partially reopened to pedestrians and cyclists, following an inspection by consultant engineers, the Parks Department said.

The city has moved the fence so that the grassy area and part of the path are now open for the public to pass through, while still blocking off the sinkhole. Critically, this will allow ferry riders to get to their commutes.

The sinkhole was discovered to have significantly worsened and expanded during a recent inspection, and was fenced off on the morning of April 23.

"We are actively working on 16 projects in our pipeline, in coordination with sister agencies, to restore and improve the esplanade," a Parks spokesperson told Patch at the time.

"We understand that this is an extremely complicated area from the standpoint of infrastructure, but this specific sinkhole, between 93rd and 94th, has been long, long, long-standing," Ratner, who founded Friends of the East River Esplanade more than 10 years ago, told Patch.

The city is currently exploring options for the repair of the sinkhole, the Parks department told Patch.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.