Water Main Construction To Disrupt UWS Streets Through 2028, Officials Say

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Construction workers have just begun the $10.9 million project of replacing 2,700 feet of old cast iron water pipes along several Upper West Side blocks, which is expected to disrupt traffic and daily routines through 2028, Upper West Side Councilmember Gale Brewer said.

Crews will replace aging water pipes underground on Central Park West between West 81st and West 85th streets, as well as on West 83rd and West 84th streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, according to city officials.

The pipe replacement itself will kick off in the next few weeks, but preliminary work is already underway, Brewer's team told Patch.

The project, overseen by the city’s Department of Design and Construction on behalf of the Department of Environmental Protection, is slated to continue through the summer of 2028.

"The disruption will be worth it: it will significantly upgrade and improve water pressure, water flow, service reliability, and fire protection in the area," Brewer wrote to her constituents. "It’s a big deal."

Initial work, which is already underway, will focus on setting up safety measures and staging areas, including installing "Maintenance and Protection of Traffic" signage, establishing equipment storage sites, documenting existing street conditions and conducting a tree inventory.

Contractors will then dig exploratory test pits to locate and sample underground utilities before relocating or adjusting gas, electric and telecommunications lines where necessary.

On Central Park West between West 81st and West 85th streets, work is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

On West 83rd Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, crews are expected to work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Brewer said residents should expect intermittent noise, traffic changes and temporary sidewalk or parking disruptions as the project progresses.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.