The New York Road Contractors Association (NYRCA) announced this week that a major Brooklyn infrastructure project has wrapped up on schedule and at a significantly reduced cost — even after contractors faced an unexpected surge in private utility work that slowed progress for more than a year.
The project, which reconstructed 57 corners across a wide swath of Brooklyn neighborhoods — including East Flatbush, Remsen Village, Ditmas Village, Flatbush, Midwood, Ocean Parkway, Bensonhurst, Brighton Beach, Prospect Heights, Wingate, Bushwick and Greenpoint — was completed by JLJ Enterprises Inc.
According to NYRCA, the city’s portion of the work was completed in just eight months, despite an unforeseen spike in private utility interference that extended the overall schedule. The contractor reportedly navigated a staggering “2,500%+ increase” in separately negotiated utility work — delays the association said were outside the City’s control — yet still delivered the full project within the 24-month contract window.
The final construction cost to the city came in at roughly $2 million, which NYRCA stressed is a dramatic savings compared to initial projections. That figure is more than 40% below the original low bid of $3.4 million and 63% below the City Engineer’s estimate of $5.7 million.
NYRCA leaders said the project should serve as a prime example of why New York City should expand its use of Section U, a procurement method used by the Department of Design and Construction (DDC). Under Section U, contractors bid only on the public work while private utilities negotiate their own costs separately — a structure the association argues shields taxpayers from unpredictable utility expenses.
“The New York Road Contractors Association and our partners are committed to delivering high-quality, on-time infrastructure for New Yorkers,” a NYRCA spokesperson said. “This Brooklyn project is clear proof that Section U works. It allows contractors to perform the public work at a competitive price, separate from the complex and often unpredictable private utility negotiations. The result is a project delivered below budget for the taxpayers, even when facing massive, eleventh-hour scope changes in utility work.”
The association contrasted Section U with the City’s Joint Bidding system, an alternative method that has been the subject of ongoing debate among agencies and contractors. NYRCA argued that recent Joint Bidding models — referred to as JB 4.0 and JB 5.0 — risk shifting private utility costs onto the City, inflating public budgets and contributing to project delays.
While the Adams administration is currently working on reforms to the Joint Bidding approach, NYRCA said the Brooklyn project illustrated how efficient and cost-effective the Section U system is.
“Our contractors continue to show that when given a fair and legally sound procurement model, they will exceed expectations,” added the spokesperson. “We urge the City to recognize this tangible success and commit to utilizing the proven efficiency and cost savings of the Section U system for future critical infrastructure projects.”
The organization maintains that the project’s savings and timely delivery are not an anomaly, but an indicator of what contractors can achieve when procurement structures keep public and private responsibilities clearly separated.
NYRCA said it plans to continue advocating for procurement policies that “protect taxpayers and allow our members to continue their tradition of reliable, high-quality project delivery,” pointing to the Brooklyn project as the newest example of that mission in practice.
