BROOKLYN ARMY TERMINAL WEST TRACK

Project Highlights / Scope of Work

• Constructed new rail system connecting 65th Street Yard to 2nd Avenue through old army terminal

• Performed asphalt removal and grading

• Installed precast concrete track panels, ballasted track and cutovers

• Removed existing track

• Performed transitional paving

Challenges

• Maintain both railroad service and vehicle access to warehouses during construction

• Urban environment with significant congestion and little to no staging areas

Project Description

The Brooklyn Army Terminal is a commercial / industrial complex housing nearly one hundred corporate tenants.  Constructed in 1919, it was the largest military supply depot in the U.S. at the time, occupying 97 acres and five million square feet.  Famously, Elvis Presley deployed from the base in 1958.  Since 1981, the New York City Economic Development Corp. has managed the site and leases the property to a wide variety of tenants as diverse as the Guggenheim Museum and Jacques Torres Chocolatier.  Almost $130 million worth of upgrades have been performed since then, including the improvements we made to the rail lines.

The Owner’s intent was to replace the old, high maintenance track with a new, nearly maintenance-free system.  The upgraded rail would connect the NYNJ Rail 65th Street Yard to 2nd Avenue passing through the terminal.  In order to maintain rail service throughout construction, the new track was built alongside the existing track using both precast concrete panels and ballasted track with cutovers installed at both ends.  The site’s warehouses remained accessible to vehicle traffic by scheduling the work in sections, one city block at a time.  During a weekend outage, the new track was tied in and the old track was removed.  Transitional paving finished the job. 

Through critical planning and coordination with both terminal management and the railroads, we were able to complete the project with minimal disruption to the businesses at this lively complex.