Glendale Community Celebrates Edsall Avenue Upgrades
August 7, 2019
New catch basins, curbs and upcoming resurfacing will improve roadway conditions and reduce flooding
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) today joined elected officials and local stakeholders to announce the completion of work to alleviate severe ponding on Edsall Avenue in Glendale, Queens. The project includes four new catch basins, 160 feet of sewer and 676 linear feet of new curb along the northern portion of the street adjacent to the railroad tracks.
“Chronic roadway flooding can be a real quality of life issue so we were pleased to partner with our colleagues at DOT to ensure there is adequate drainage along Edsall Avenue and that the roadway is constructed in a manner to ensure the stormwater drains towards the catch basins,” said DEP Deputy Commissioner for Water and Sewer Operations Tasos Georgelis. “Recent observations have indicated the roadway is draining much more effectively than it was in the spring, and we anticipate the upcoming roadway resurfacing will further improve conditions following a rainstorm.”
“We are grateful for the team effort with the Department of Environmental Protection to provide much-needed relief to address the significant and historic issue of ponding on this street,” said DOT Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia. “The new catch basins, curbs and upcoming resurfacing bring roadway infrastructure into a state-of-good repair and improve the quality of life for residents.”
“I would like to thank DEP and DOT for coming together to resolve this long awaited project on Edsall Avenue, which started over six years ago,” said Assembly Member Michael Miller. “Residents of Glendale, especially those who live on Edsall Avenue, will finally have relief. This has been a team effort and I thank my partners Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr., Former Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, CB5 Chair Vincent Arcuri, CB5 District Manager Gary Giordano, and Councilman Robert Holden for their involvement. I also would like to thank my former staffer, Dorie Figliola, for starting this project from my office over six years ago.”
“Any amount of rainfall used to turn Edsall Avenue into a body of water, to the point that it earned the nickname ‘Lake Edsall,’” said Council Member Robert Holden. “It was a nightmare for residents of the surrounding area, and it took far too long to come up with a viable solution. I’m proud that I was able to help my colleagues finally fix this problem after I took office. Thank you to the homeowners who advocated strongly for this change and to the Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Protection, Community Board 5, Senator Joseph Addabbo and Assemblyman Mike Miller for your efforts.”
The four new DEP-installed catch basins are located at Edsall Avenue and 73rd Place, Edsall Avenue and 72nd Place, and two basins were installed along Edsall Avenue between 71st Place and 72nd Street and help drain stormwater more effectively. For its part, DOT added the curb to the north side of the street to assist in channeling and distributing water. In the fall, DOT will return to mill and pave four blocks of Edsall Ave. from 71st to 73rd Place. Altogether, this investment in new drainage and street infrastructure is more than $300,000.
DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8.5 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $20.1 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year.For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.