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Progress Update, Week of April 19, 2021

During the week of April 19 the Gowanus Remediation Team continued mobilizing additional equipment for pile driving operations. Phase 1 of dredging in RTA 1 is complete. The next phase of dredging is scheduled for 2022.

This week GRT crews continued to assemble and test equipment on the work barges located between 3rd Street and Carroll Street. These preparations are to support the upcoming pipe pile separation wall installation at Turning Basin 1 (TB-1). Pipe piles will be installed at TB-1 to create a temporary bulkhead wall to support fill materials on the upland side of the canal while dredging occurs. The Carroll Street Bridge and the Union Street Bridge will also have pipe pile walls installed as bulkheads to support the bridge abutments during future phases of dredging.

Workers completed attaching the drill assembly to the drill tower on the crane barge. The drill assembly will be used to drive the pipe piles into the canal bed. The drill tower provides structural support for the drill assembly. The drill string, a column of equipment that transmits drilling fluid and torque to the downhole hammer and bit, was moved into position. The crane that will operate the drill tower was connected to supporting equipment staged on the nearby compressor barge and testing of the equipment is ongoing. The pipe pile barge was moored north of 3rd Street. A barge for containing drill cuttings produced during pile driving was moored in position.

At TB-1, welders completed installation of the wale, a steel template built onto the recently installed pin piles (similar to steel beams). The wales will help guide the pipe piles into position as they are driven into the canal bed. Assembly also began for the wales on the south side of the Carroll Street Bridge.

The Carroll Street Bridge will remain in the open position while the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) performs maintenance on the bridge. Carroll Street will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic until further notice.

Photos of construction activities are provided below.

Assembly of equipment on the pipe pile work barge and compressor barge.
Connecting the drill assembly to the drill tower.
Continued connecting of the drill assembly to the drill tower.
Welding the wale onto pin piles on the south side of the Carroll Street bridge.
Mooring the pipe pile barge north of 3rd Street.