After Hurricane Sandy exposed New York City’s vulnerabilities to severe weather events, the city launched a series of initiatives to strengthen its defenses. Among them is the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) Project, one of the largest and most technically advanced infrastructure efforts in the city’s history.
Stretching 2.4 miles along the urban coastline, the ESCR Project is designed to protect over 110,000 residents in Lower Manhattan from storm surges and rising sea levels. The initiative will include innovative above- and below-ground flood protection measures, such as raising a portion of East River Park.
Beyond flood protection, the project will enhance public spaces with improved amenities, greater accessibility and upgrades to surrounding parks and playgrounds, transforming the waterfront into a safer and more vibrant space for the community.
A Partner in Building Resilience: Guiding Every Phase of the ESCR Journey
As program and construction manager for Project Areas 1 and 2 on the ESCR Project, the HNTB-led joint venture worked with the New York City Department of Design and Construction to ensure the design implementation and oversee the execution of the resiliency project. HNTB’s contributions encompass every project phase, from pre-construction planning to final delivery. Some of the firm’s responsibilities include:
- Budget and grant management
- Construction services
- Environmental management
- Development of communication strategies
- Public outreach and community engagement
Delivering Effective Services:
Construction Phasing and Material Delivery
Recognizing that open space is a limited resource in New York City, HNTB created a construction phasing plan to minimize community impact. The final plan allows approximately half of the total open space within the project area to remain open to the public, ensuring minimal disruption to travel times. Additionally, most materials and soil will be delivered by barge to reduce the impact on local streets.
Accelerated Bridge Construction
The ESCR Project includes three new pedestrian bridges across the Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive: the Corlears Hook Bridge, Delancey Street Bridge and East 10th Street Bridge.
The bridges are being installed using accelerated bridge construction (ABC) techniques. The approach allows for the construction of bridge components off-site, which are then transported and installed using self-propelled modular transporters.
The ABC method significantly reduces construction timelines and disruptions. Instead of prolonged road closures spanning multiple days or weeks, the ABC process requires only overnight closures for the final installation.
To ensure smooth implementation, HNTB conducted extensive traffic analysis and modeling, collecting data from twelve intersections using automatic traffic recorders and manual turning movement studies. The data informed the development of a traffic diversion program, minimizing disruptions and mitigating impacts on local streets during the FDR Drive closure.
Environmental Compliance
During the project's permitting and construction phases, HNTB oversaw environmental compliance efforts. Services included ensuring consistency across design documents and formulating design specifications for air quality, greenhouse gas, noise and vibration monitoring.
Additionally, for work taking place in U.S. waters, the firm will oversee the incorporation of conservation measures in the joint permit application.
Public Engagement
HNTB oversees public engagement on the project, including virtual and in-person communication efforts to reach the highly diverse communities around the project areas. This outreach includes presentations to various stakeholders, such as community boards, tenant association meetings, and elected officials, community engagement programs including a Call for Art decorative mesh program and branded communications.
Utilizing HNTB’s Public Involvement Management Application, the firm developed a multi-year public engagement plan for the ESCR Project team that will allow the team to adjust outreach based on collected data and manage public input effectively.
A Lasting Solution
The East Side Coastal Resiliency initiative is more than a flood protection project—it is a transformative investment in the safety, vitality and sustainability of Lower Manhattan. By safeguarding the community from storm surges and rising sea levels while enhancing public spaces, the project ensures a stronger, more resilient future for generations to come.
Location: New York, NY
Client: New York City Department of Design and Construction
Services: Program and Construction Management
