Underground work is causing aboveground disruption on Coney Island Avenue.
The city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is currently engaged in repairing 400 feet of sewer line under the west side of the thoroughfare between Avenue K and Avenue L that, said Michael Saucier, an agency spokesperson, had been damaged due to nearby construction.
According to Saucier, the construction workers accidentally drilled into the sewers, creating a condition that needed to be repaired.
There is no timeline for the repair process, said Saucier, who noted that several homes had been affected by the sewer damage.
The issue came up during the October meeting of Community Board 10, when District Manager Doris Ortiz reported on the problem to board members gathered at Edward R. Murrow High School, East 17th Street and Avenue L.
Ortiz said that the work was being done “on an emergency basis,” and that DEP workers would be at the site daily, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. doing the repairs.
“They are digging about 13 feet below the roadway,” Ortiz reported.
Despite the ongoing repairs, the street is still open to both northbound and southbound traffic, Ortiz said. “Parking is going to be a little bit difficult but the work has to be done,” she added.
Traffic is moving slowly around the work zone, Ortiz went on. “I was on Coney Island Avenue this afternoon, and it was a horror getting through there,” she told her listeners.
To see if the traffic situation could be alleviated, Ortiz promised to contact the 70th Precinct and ask for their help.
