Sustainable design and engineering firm Stantec recently celebrated the grand opening of the East Midtown Greenway in Midtown East, Manhattan. Constructed by Skanska, the esplanade is the second of three sections of the East Midtown Waterfront Project and adds nearly 2,000 linear feet of bikeways and walking paths to the East River waterfront.
The greenway’s design incorporates three major components: a pedestrian bridge, an in-water structure, and the topside landscape and bike path. The pedestrian bridge at 54th Street provides a connection for pedestrians and bicyclists, linking the community to the greenway. The in-water structure forms the foundation for the linear park above.
Stantec’s extensive coordination with various city agencies was key in managing the project’s requirements, including civil engineering, waterfront engineering, structural engineering, landscape architecture, and public art coordination.
East Midtown Greenway, courtesy of Stantec
One of the project’s most notable engineering challenges was designing the in-water structure to support a heavy load of topsoil and large trees while capturing stormwater for the landscape’s sustainability. The solution involved using tub girders, which allowed for increased soil depth to accommodate 60 large trees and 1,000 cubic feet of soil without compromising the structure’s slim profile.
Artist Stacy Levy designed custom pavers for the greenway featuring diatom imagery, reflecting the natural elements of the East River. The greenway’s different “scenes,” including Birch Point, the South Dune/Pollinator Meadow, the Bluff, the Grove, and the North Dune/Wetland Forest, feature unique plant species, trees, and rock formations.
“Cities across the world are looking for ways to become more bikeable and walkable, but new pathways and corridors can also be places people want to be in and of themselves,” said Nicole Ogrosso, project manager at Stantec. “The East Midtown Greenway offers just that: a unique waterfront experience that is both beautiful and parklike. We’re incredibly proud to see this project come to life and congratulate the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation on today’s grand opening.”
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A taste of what the High Line will be when the waters rise.
That’s a cheery thought to start the New Year, sunshine ☀️.
So you think the High Line will last thousands of years into the future… I say that’s quite a positive statement.
Tucker?
With comments like this, you wonder why people roll their eyes at the very real concerns with climate change.
Well done! Thoughtfully planned with trees and shrubs and pavers to reflect the river. We need more of these type of pedestrian projects in urban areas on waterways. Bravo.
Elegant..
I been there more times they fix the east river walk way brand new before it was old and bad for real but now it look good and great walk way
I have friends who live in the 30s east who rail w envy how the west side nyc and west waterfronts of brooklyn receive sprawl and wonderlands of parks… while the east side is treated like a dirty shoe.
Well hats off to our city for developing a clever working solution! Hear hear! For all the city’s ongoing “lack”, we should also call out its progress. And I do. Hoorah. Happy 2024.
Just a beautiful walkway with inspiring views of the city.
I walked this recently. While it’s a highly needed extension of the Greenway, it still doesn’t connect the uptown section beginning at 53rd Street to the downtown section ending at 41st Street. That will apparently cost another $200m, which is an almost obscene amount.
Also, it’s extremely noisy due to the exposed bi-level FDR tunnel just a dozen or so feet away, at least until about 59th Street, where pre-existing infrastructure blocks the noise. Some baffling with the D.O.T. would be very welcome.
Finally, it’ll be years before the trees offer any meaningful shade. No one cares in the winter, but in summer, it’ll be a broiler with all that full day sun with nothing to block it nearby.
Do they ever put these projects out for a competitive bid? $200 million sounds like a lot and Skansa always seems to be the builder?