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New York City will spend $79.2 million to upgrade sewage facilities around Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Padolan Trail will be closed for about two years due to construction. Once completed, treatment capacity will increase and the environment of the park will be improved.
queens flushing Pat Dolan Trail at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, becausenew york city The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has undertaken a large-scale sewage facility upgrade project, which has been closed to the public since October and is expected to remain closed for approximately two years. For residents who frequently visit the park for walking, hiking and bird watching, access will be affected in the short term; The city government said that after construction is completed, the surrounding natural environment will be restored and the public experience will be improved.
The project, which is expected to cost $79.2 million, primarily targets the Park Drive East pump station in Kew Gardens Hills. The pumping station was built about 90 years ago in the 1930s. The last large-scale upgrade took place more than 40 years ago in the 1980s. The Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau said that this time it is equivalent to updating the main facilities of the old pumping station. It will expand underground facilities and build new buildings above ground to house critical power equipment.
Upon completion, the pumping station will increase daily processing capacity from 13 million gallons to 15 million gallons, an increase of approximately 15%. A backup pump will also be added to meet current demand and improve the stability and reliability of equipment operation. The pumping station serves residents and businesses in a watershed of approximately 620 acres in Queens. The sewage is ultimately taken to the Bowery Bay Waste Water Resources Recovery Facility for treatment. For local residents, it will help meet daily sewage treatment needs and reduce the long-term operating pressure of old equipment.
Apart from the pumping station, the project will also refurbish existing pressurized transmission lines. Some pipelines pass underground in the Willow Lake Preserve at the southern end of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Construction workers will repair the interior walls of the pipelines and use micro-tunneling technology to lay new pipelines beneath the Van Wyck Expressway and Grand Central Parkway.
The city’s Environmental Protection Bureau said the Padolan Trail must be closed for about two years due to construction involving the Willow Lake Nature Reserve. During the construction period, the old pedestrian bridge in the reserve will also be rebuilt to improve access and traffic conditions for future tourists. During periods of trail closure, park users must follow on-site signs to reroute; Park Bureau personnel deployed to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park will also work with the City Environmental Protection Bureau to coordinate park access and management arrangements during the construction period.
In response to the project’s potential impact on the natural environment, the Municipal Park Bureau stated that its natural resources and forestry staff have participated in preliminary planning, assisted with surveys and reviewed construction designs, and minimized interference with the vegetation and ecology of the protected area.
Summary FAQ
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Due to a large-scale sewage facility upgrade in and around the New York City Department of Environmental Conservation’s Willow Lake Nature Reserve, the scope of construction includes trails and underground pipelines. To ensure safety and project progress, the trails have been suspended for almost two years since October.
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The core of the project is to renovate the sewage pumping station on Gongyuan East Road in Qiuyuanqiu, expand underground facilities, construct above-ground buildings to house electrical equipment, repair pressurized transmission pipelines, and simultaneously update related supporting facilities.
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After completion, the pumping station’s daily processing capacity will increase from 13 million gallons to 15 million gallons, and additional pumps will be added to improve sustainability. Trails and pedestrian bridges will also be rebuilt to improve residents’ access and experience of using the nature reserve.
