Dive Brief:
- The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has awarded a $477 million contract to repair damage to New York's L train tunnel, which connects Manhattan and Brooklyn, left over from 2012's Superstorm Sandy, according to The Wall Street Journal.
- Judlau Contracting and TC Electric will rebuild 60,000 feet of duct banks and more than 14,000 feet of track and track bed in the salt water–damaged structure. Also included in the contract are repairs and improvements to stations and lighting and fire systems, as well as repairs to cable ducts, cables and concrete
- The MTA has included $15 million of contractor incentives if the companies can complete the project in 15 months, three months faster than originally planned. If the contractors miss the deadline, the MTA can fine them more than $400,000 a day.
Dive Insight:
Superstorm Sandy caused approximately $69 billion in damage and killed nearly 60 people when it hit the coasts of New York and New Jersey. Floodwater caused the most damage, and, as a result, both New York City and New Jersey made changes to their building codes to require higher elevations on many projects. As a result, New York City changed its elevation codes, while still leaving room for developer flexibility in most cases.
Many repairs made necessary by Sandy are far from complete. In an effort to streamline the process, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed off on the Build It Back program late last year, which allows residential demolition work to be performed without a final permit.
The initiative also allows homeowners to restart construction if they have violations that pre-date Build It Back. Officials said the most recent revisions to the program will alleviate bureaucracy and red tape, allowing people to get back into their homes faster.