NEW YORK | World Trade Center Memorial & Transit Hub

[Traynor]

Has anyone kept track over the years how many times West Street has been paved, torn-up, moved and then paved again... and again, and again?

Knowing this in advance, (as I am sure construction planners do) to me it would make more sense to build a raised temporary road (like an iron-bridge, mini version of the old, elevated, West Side Highway) only once, while all the infrastructure below is built. Then pave it only once when finished.

I know it's rather simplistic, however it seems that if you add up all the cost of labour, materials and such for re-doing it a few dozen or more times, that it would be cheaper with the temporary elevated road.


(from Earthcam found HERE )

[wong21fr]

^Why? The only thing they tore up was an asphalt surface and that's only $1 to $2 per square foot. Laying a temporary asphalt roadway again and again is almost always going to be the cheapest solution due to it's low price. Going elevated would be absurdly expensive in comparison.

[Duck From NY]

This looks very clean and calming. It's the kind of place you'd like to pass through on your way to work in the morning when you're still rubbing your eyes.

It also looks like a dinosaur skeleton.

Very cool.

Originally Posted by Onn

[pico44]

Originally Posted by Traynor

Has anyone kept track over the years how many times West Street has been paved, torn-up, moved and then paved again... and again, and again?

Knowing this in advance, (as I am sure construction planners do) to me it would make more sense to build a raised temporary road (like an iron-bridge, mini version of the old, elevated, West Side Highway) only once, while all the infrastructure below is built. Then pave it only once when finished.

I know it's rather simplistic, however it seems that if you add up all the cost of labour, materials and such for re-doing it a few dozen or more times, that it would be cheaper with the temporary elevated road.

)

An elevated roadway to avoid repaying a road a couple times??????!! That would have been so incredibly insane and expensive, I'm almost surprised it didn't happen.

[mrnyc]

today

[eleven=11]

(from Earthcam found HERE )[/QUOTE]

what is the big 5 story wall in the center of the office building??
just to the left of the new Brookfield Place entrance

[drumz0rz]

It's not listed on their renovations website, but I'm going to assume they're redoing the facade there. Their renders don't show any change there from what was there previously.

[Onn]

Originally Posted by drumz0rz

It's not listed on their renovations website, but I'm going to assume they're redoing the facade there. Their renders don't show any change there from what was there previously.

They were only supposed to renovate one of the entrances on the other side, but it looks they may be doing that one too.

[Traynor]

Originally Posted by pico44

An elevated roadway to avoid repaying a road a couple times??????!! That would have been so incredibly insane and expensive, I'm almost surprised it didn't happen.

Originally Posted by wong21fr

^Why? The only thing they tore up was an asphalt surface and that's only $1 to $2 per square foot. Laying a temporary asphalt roadway again and again is almost always going to be the cheapest solution due to it's low price. Going elevated would be absurdly expensive in comparison.

You people are being even more simplistic than I am.

More than just pavement has been sacrificed here over the last decade.

A temporary bridge structure is exactly what many roadworks use throughout the world, when long-term construction is necessary.

Furthermore, the expensive part of doing this over an over is the Machine Rental and Labour. Obscenely costly items.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Traynor

You people are being even more simplistic than I am.

More than just pavement has been sacrificed here over the last decade.

Like what? Watching the timelapse you can clearly see the phased approach that was taken in rebuilding West Street and the number of times that the existing asphalt was torn up and replaced; it's pretty minimal. Instead there was a lot of shifting of traffic onto the same temporary road as the permanent road was built. It looks as if there might have been 5-6 temporary roadways done over the course of the project. Shifting traffic 5-6 times isn't that much of deal.

A temporary bridge structure is exactly what many roadworks use throughout the world, when long-term construction is necessary.

Sure, and temporary bridge structures were also used in the reconstruction of West Street. Just not on the scale that you envisioned. Four temporary bridges were used to bridge the PATH tunnels and the pedestrian tunnel to the WFC as they were rebuilt. One the tunnel was complete and overhead soil was placed the roadway was then rebuilt on top of it.

Furthermore, the expensive part of doing this over an over is the Machine Rental and Labour. Obscenely costly items.

Labor is a high-cost item. But, even if labor is 80% of the cost of the paving and repaving (which is way above the what cost estimators use) it's still less than a temporary bridge. If the all-in cost of a asphalt road bed is $2/sq ft while a temporary bridge structure is $20/sq ft, it's still cheaper to tear up the road and to rebuild it 9 times rather than doing one temporary overpass.

[NYguy]

http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/74542

[NYC2ATX]

After finding myself in Jersey City the morning after Halloween, I rode the PATH for the first time and got a chance to walk through the new West Street pavilion and the open passageway...and I take back my comment about it being to bright/sterile. It's spectacular in person. A welcome respite from the typically dirty and run-down subway stations, and the glow is not too fluorescent or sterile, but clean, modern and inviting. If the entire station complex looks anything like this portion, we are in for a real treat, guys.

[mrnyc]

^ ahh thank you, i thought the same thing, that they really got the lighting right. and it varies too from section to section. yes its very modern, well thought out and executed. i wasn't expecting that to make such an impression as it does. definately bodes well for the rest of the new station. however, it will be interesting to see how the calming experience of it changes again when the retail and hubbub comes online.

[Dac150]

It looks magnificent. Unfortunately I have no reason to ever go Downtown, however I'm real anxious to walk through the passageway. If only Au Mandarin was still open inside the World Financial Center . . that would be my incentive.

[drumz0rz]

I'm curious to see how the PATH station is slowly migrated to the new final space. Right now it's very much a temporary space and feels very under construction. What will the platform level look like when it is completed? Will this beautiful bright white flowing design be seen down there or will it keep it's steel and concrete brutalist vibe? I don't think I've seen any renders of what platform level will look like when complete.

[The North One]

Originally Posted by Traynor

And I wonder what design theme Calatrava will use for the Church. I am sure it will be another completely different design unlike any he's done before... (SARCASM ALERT)

What kind of fail post is this? Half of these are pictures of the same building.

You tried it though.

His work may be similar in materials and color but for the most part they're vastly different buildings. If you want to complain about sameness in ones work you should bark up Frank Ghery's tree.

[ArtDecoRevival]

Gehry AND Calatrava are both brilliant, versatile and unfairly maligned.

[phoenixboi08]

Originally Posted by ArtDecoRevival

Gehry AND Calatrava are both brilliant, versatile and unfairly maligned.

I second that.

[randy1991]

Great progress!

[Davidsam52]

Earthcam had a problem today and now all the cams have to be reset