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Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Broadway and Liberty set for overhaul
Bioswales
Benefits:
Collect and treats stormwater
Infiltration and groundwater recharge
Aesthetically pleasing
A rendering for the Liberty Street Streetscape Improvement Project.
By SHANTAL RILEY
[email protected]
The intersection of Broadway and Liberty Street is
about to get a major facelift as city planners prepare for
an overhaul of sidewalks, crosswalks and storm drains.
The area surrounds the Safe Harbors Green, currently
under construction.
The Liberty Street Streetscape Improvement Project
will include crosswalk upgrades, tree plantings, realigned
parking and the replacement of sidewalks, curbs and
catch basins. The project is being carried out alongside
the building of the green.
“We wanted to make it a combined effort and have
the sidewalks match the park,” said City of Newburgh
Assistant Engineer Chad Wade.
The sidewalks will be constructed with permeable
edging and stamped concrete resembling bluestone.
Bump-out curb extensions will work to extend portions
of the sidewalk to slow traffic and increase pedestrian
safety. Several new catch basins will be constructed,
along with parking spaces situated further away from the
intersection.
Almost a dozen trees are expected to be planted,
surrounded by bioswales for storm water management.
Filled with grasses and perennials, these areas are
designed to absorb storm water runoff and provide
aesthetic beauty. “The idea of the bioswales is to collect
the first inch of rain water,” often the most polluted
runoff, said Wade at recent city Distressed Properties
Task Force meeting.
The bioswales will include woody plant material to
filter the water and allow it to seep into the ground, said
Wade.
Crosswalks will also be upgraded with 6-foot-long
stripes repainted in white. The crosswalk markings were
previously painted at the intersection through the city’s
Complete Streets Demonstration Project in the spring.
The streetscape project incorporates “Complete
Streets” design principles, aimed to improve safety for
pedestrians and cyclists. According to a preliminary
engineer’s estimate, the project will cost $300,000 in
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding,
Wade said. Bids are due in for the project sometime this
week, he said.
The project’s drawings and specs are meant to serve
as standards for city streetscape projects moving forward,
said Wade. Construction is expected to be completed
sometime in October.